Avatar:The Overlord
by lostsword
Summary: Go down a dark pathway of death and destruction as the war continues on after the end of the series due to one, fatal, mistake... WARNING:Character death, dark themes, MaixZukoXOC SokkaxAzulaxSuki JetxOC TophxOC AnngxKatarra
1. Chapter 1

_Avatar:The Overlord_

_Chapter 1: The End of the World_

**NOTE: for those of you that are new to my fics, I will almost always have AUness in my stories, whether small or big. In this case it is big. This follows a 'what if' plot, where Zuko is very dark and the world is very dark. There WILL be character DEATH, there will be DARK parts....also there are a few parts that might seem odd in the story, I changed a few things about the original storyline, such as the southern water tribes and northern water tribes having more then one village and a lot of troops, both are possible, since they never said it was impossible or that it wasn't true in the shows...anyways thanks for reading this insanly long authors note. **

**I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF IT**

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His gray golden eyes stared at the fires that burned brightly before him with grim satisfaction. Even if that satisfaction wasn't anything more then a ruse to fool the Imperial Watchmen that hounded every officers steps.

In truth he hated what he had just done, he hated what he would be called to do in later days, weeks, months, even years. He stared at the golden and black flag of the Inferno Empire with a blank face, _Does every officer in the army feel like this after they wipe out a civilization? _He thought as he marched past the fire troops around him. He continued down the decorated halls of his Destroyer II, the _Jaw Smasher_, and entered his barely decorated cabin.

He slowly took off the black armor he wore and put it on it's stand in the corner. Then removed his steel boots and crossed the carpeted floor barefooted to his oak desk, imported form the New Fire Nation. He was one of the few men that still thought of it as the Earth Kingdom, but only in thought.

He sat on the wooden chair and looked at the leather bound book and slowly opened it and turned the many pages until he came to a empty one. He then started to write.

_My sweet Wife, today I led a wonderful invasion of the Southern Water Tribe, they fell quickly and we conquered it quickly. I got Anki a new doll and you a wonderful necklace too. I remember when I first was promoted to General, you were so worried that I would get killed off doing Firelord Zuko's jobs, but...i guess I had the last laugh...sadly._

Suddenly the man threw the book again the wall in anger and held his head in his hands as he wept. He remembered that day, the day his wonderful wife Misaki had told him he would end up dead directing battles. It had been a playful joke the young couple had. Of course she and his precious daughter had died in their home on the coastal home they owned, burned alive by the sadistic Earth Kingdom army that had surprise attacked the Fire Nation just two months after the end of the great war.

He bawled his fist's as he thought about that day. He had been out at sea, heading to patrol the Fire Nation water's for the missing rebels that had fled directly after Fire Lord Zuko had ordered all troops home.

He remembered when the war for the Fire Nation ended. Zuko was presumed dead and the Fire Nation's armies were gone. Dead. Defeated. For three long years he and a small group of ships and troops raided the occupying army. But without a powerful head, like Zuko, the rebellion was weak.

All of that ended when Zuko arrived with the entire rebel army and a few hundred loyal soldier. He had fought like no one had ever seen. Gone was the young, brash, peaceful boy that had feared killing a turtle duck.

He had utterly, without remorse or error, destroyed the Earth Kingdom army. Even annihilated would have not done it justice. He had every head cut off that belonged to the Earth Kingdom and put on a stake, then the stakes were set along the Great Rode. The Rode led from the massive port city/Capital to the other major Port on the Fire Nation capital Island. It was a small row on either side but the effect was huge. Many walked down it just to spit on the defeated's face.

Then he had taken the remaining soldiers and invaded the Earth Kingdom. It was swift and cruel. Burning many towns and cities had blown huge blows to the already barely alive Earth Kingdom, who's army had been slaughter after the Second war for the Fire Nation ended, even if it was more like a giant battle.

Then Zuko conquered Ba Sing Se in a record time and personally cooked the New Earth Kingdom General alive. He only seemed to lose the blood lust after declaring the Earth Kingdom the New Fire Nation and himself Overlord, but this by no means stopped his rapidly increasing darkness.

He had spent a year breaking the rebellious Earth Kingdom people. After that was done he had rebuilt the shattered fire nation as the Inferno Empire. He then began hiring scientists and built many great weapons of death. Two of the devices built that gave the Inferno Empire the ability to so utterly break the rebellions was the Biplane and the Dragon Cannon.

The Biplane was a death bringer taken from a small group of people in the northern air temples designs. It was a faster and smaller air ship, big enough for two men to sit, back to back. Using a steam engine, like the ones on their ships, the plane stayed in the air by levers and other things that he didn't care to remember, as it did not effect him in any way.

The Dragon Cannon, however...was a large weapon in the massive palace that was built over the ruins of the torched Ba Sing Se. it was easily the size of a battle ship and could fire fire balls that would incinerate a city any ware on the the face of the Earth Kingdom.

Normally this would be very hard or altogether impossible, but due to the massive tower in the center of the palace, standing over two thousand feet tall, and being placed on a rotating platform, it could very well hit any ware on the mass of land, even being rumored to be able to hit the other nations across the sea.

However Zuko had made many more weapons after that, and still did. But he went even more dark after Mistress Mai left mysteriously one night. No one knew where she had gone, rumor had it that Zuko killed her. All anyone knew was that with her, Zuko's last bit of sanity left as well.

He became more and more cruel. Often killing many earth citizens just to make sure that the New Fire Nation stayed under his control. He had also gotten more paranoid, having killed many a Admiral and General after he came to his new seat as world ruler. Of course if a Admiral had tried to stab HIM from behind....he might have done the same.

But then Zuko made the worst decree yet. He had ordered Grand-General Hyro to lead the invasion of the Southern Water Tribes. Of course he had never minded and taken the task with great glee. Even though the Earth Kingdom of old had been the one to fight the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes in the south had taken part in the naval battles as well as helping hold the Nation for a year or two.

He hadn't cared when he was told to destroy their navy and army. He hadn't cared when he was told to execute the ruling family. He hadn't cared when he had been told to mass execute men from the different villages. He HAD cared when he was told to RAISE the Southern Water Tribes to the GROUND.

He remembered reading the message one morning. In bold dragon text before him read, RAISE THE LAND OF THE SOUTHERN WATER TO THE GROUND, EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD IS TO BURN FOR THEIR HELP IN OUR SUFFERING, SO DECREES OVERLORD ZUKO. RULER OF THE WORLD.

He had done as tasked, just like the loyal dog he had always been, but looking into all of those little eyes now...he hated himself for it.

Grand-General Jai Hyro leaned back into his chair, lifting it off the ground with the balls of his feet just so slightly. He felt tears in his eyes as he remembered the long rode that had led the world to ruin. No doubt the invasion of the Northern Water Tribes would happen soon. And....he would be forced to lead that as well.

He sighed heavily as he looked at the portrait of his small family, him, Anki, and Misaki were sitting on the wooden porch of their now destroyed home, smiling, unaware of the horrible future that was looming only a few weeks in the future.

After a few minutes more of thinking the Grand-General of the Inferno Empire's army stood up and put on his armor again, snapping the black helmet over his face. He was still getting used to the solid red visor on his mask, and the fact that this armor was lighter.

Figuring they had been watching the islands and coasts of the Southern Water Tribe burn long enough he walked down the halls of the _Jaw Smasher_ and took little notice of the golden tapestries hanging over his head, the lines of guards nor the escort that followed him everywhere, both to guard and him and keep an eye on him. Zuko trusted very few after the near assassination on his life by Admiral Koia.

After a few minutes he arrived at the bridge and walked past the many stations required to operate the mammoth of a ship as it floated near a long, thin island. Smoke rising in large stacks all over the place.

"Admiral Naoto, set a course of the New Fire Nation" he said as he nodded to his subordinate. The man nodded back and stood up straight.

"Alright you slackers I want this ship making a straight course for the docks in the New Fire Nation that we sailed from, Hurry up!" he barked, doing a rather good job of making the bridge crew wet their pants.

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**Well it's an odd place to end it...but im about to fall asleep and all that jazz. Review and keep reading. Ideas are welcome, as is criticism. I hope it will sound better later, but this is just a trailer of sorts for the whole thing. The story will begin in March-May, it depends when I finish my Ghost Recon fic. As soon as possible to be exact, I'm starting back up on Dark Order in May so I don't have a lot of time.**

**Anyways I hope you like it and will wait a week or two to see it begin...welp...C U NEXT TiME!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 2: A Overlord's Thoughts_

**first off, I said this will be out in April, but I have been getting messed up with all these ideas I keep thinking up that I cant resist writing another chapter. This will still start in may, well most likely.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or it's characters, except the OC's that I will be using, they are my own and I wish you ask before using them.**

He stared, just stared. He wondered why he stared, as he stared at the large double doors of solid gold and black stone. The intricate carvings did not attract his attention. Nor the two black and gold clad elite guards that stood on either side of the door, standing at attention all day, their golden spears gleaming in the sun that flooded the chamber from the large, floor to ceiling window, that covered the entire back wall, the one right behind the large throne that he sat on.

No, the reason, was that those doors was were his beloved wife had turned on him, leaving him behind for the rest of his life.

Overlord Zuko sighed. He had started back down that old road again, the dreaded one that he had long since hated. He wondered where it had all gone wrong. He and Mai had been lovers during and after the war for the Fire Nation, they had fought together for their homeland, for the ancient soil of the Earth Kingdom, and then it all had fallen apart.

The world had gotten bleaker and bleaker. More and more people had refused his rule, he got...darker, Mai had stopped being so warm to him, she often refused him. Then he heard she had been sleeping with other men and ordered her in. they had fought, fiercely like before, when the end of the war had just happened. She had cried before severing their ties by tossing her crown at him before leaving through those double doors, never to return to his sight again.

He had expended the army and navy to hunt for her, but she had all but vanished, and with his son still in her womb. He had long since buried his feelings for her, sleeping with many women, but none compared to her, none actually _loved_ him.

Over the few years of his rule he had traveled the country, visiting the places he had been during the war, the boy's village that had shunned him after he had saved them from the corrupted earth soldiers, he torched. The small house where he and his uncle had stolen a horse, he had turned into a recruiting station. Down memory lane he had gone and destroyed all that had been apart of him.

He pulled a lever next to his throne and the golden chair swiveled around, now facing the giant window that had originally been behind him. It showed a massive view of the Earth Kingdom, villages and towns looking like ants to him. Far off he could see the city of Omashu.

Zuko sighed as he mused. He missed the time he had with Mai, the time he had shared with all the others of 'Team Avatar'. But they had all died or had fled. He had offered Anng a chance to join him, much like his great grand father had, but he was instead nearly throne out of the ship he had been on with the master bender. He had bested the bender, as the air bender would not kill his 'best friend'. But Anng had escaped and now he did not know where the boy had gone.

After that he had hunted down other members, but Anng had spread the message and they had disappeared. He knew only that two of them had been seen in the battle for the Southern Tribes. The girl, Katarra, had been presumed dead, but the boy had escaped.

"Musing again brother?" a smooth, silky voice said behind him. He didn't turn the chair around, she had already moved to stand beside him. Azula hadn't changed much since the end of the war. Her hair was a bit longer and she had grown more as all woman did. Many a man had asked her hand in marriage, but she had refused, and by refused she had killed them directly after. He smiled in memory of that.

He had released her after the capital fell and the siblings, Mai and a few hundred men had escaped to one of his fathers secret underground bases, for three years the three of them had planned the uprising that would destroy their foes, and bring about the new world order of the Inferno Empire.

Azula had changed a bit in the head too, she now wore robes instead of her armor and often was seen in dresses more, except on the battlefield. The two had come to live with one another's presence, as they could only trust one another now, as it was so painfully clear.

"Why you waste so much time staring into space I will never know" she said as she sat down on the dais that his throne sat on, her legs handing off the edge. "We could be plotting right now" she said, almost playfully.

He smiled, but only a fake one. He had been surprised when Azula had broken out of her mad state after he had released her. She had seemed crazed for awhile, but had soon gotten her mind back in order, now that she had something to aim her thoughts at, the Earth Kingdom. "We will, once Hyro returns" he murmured.

Azula sighed, "What will you do this time, burn them all or freeze them in their own retched water?" she asked, her hatred of water had been amplified by her defeat on the day of his fathers defeat.

Zuko locked his eyes on the setting sun, feeling the warmth leaving with it. "we will see" was all he said before closing his eyes, beginning to muse again.

Azula simply sighed before standing up and walking away, back towards the double doors that so often held his gaze.

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**huh, that last part was almost poetic. Anyways I hope you liked it, I have mixed feelings on this chapter. REVIEW.**

**C U NEXT TiME!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 3: Sokka's Tale_

**Well im finally starting on this thing, I have a basic idea of what im doing, do not fear! This will most likely be a fifteen to twenty chapter fic, there WILL be character death, both good and bad...hope you like dark fics, cus this is about to take a dramatic jump soon. Exit stage left!**

**NOTE: Just in case you didn't realize this I gave the Southern Water tribe about two or three more villages. Because for one, they could have just abandoned them during the war and repopulated them after, and two this story is AU. This is also a long chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, it's characters or any other products under it. I do own the plot idea, my OC characters and the computer I wrote this on. On with the fic!**

The rain poured hard on the City of New Ozai, or Ba Sing Se as some of the citizens would whisper quietly from time to time, careful that none of the watchers were to hear.

As the rain poured down the once great earth city, no longer did the green roofed buildings stand, since they had been knocked down and replaced with the red buildings of the Inferno Empire and their pagoda roofs, a pair of blue eyes spied on a long column of Inferno soldiers, their black armor covered in water, however the soldiers themselves were warm as the water proof armor kept the cold liquid off them, their spears leaning against their shoulders as their black shields were slung over their backs. The red visors had rain sliding down across the glass, a soldier would every now and again wipe at his visor, trying to see through the rain storm as they marched down the long street towards the Capital building.

As the figure, wrapped in a thick parka of faded blue, allowed his eyes to drift momentarily to the monument of the Inferno Empire's building masters. The capital building stood where the old Earth Palace had stood, only now instead of the warming stone structure, there was a gleaming metal fortress, spike railings and smaller towers dotted the fortress. Torches and flags covered it's walls as well as rows of guards who patrolled the fortress for any sign of a enemy.

The building seemed like a mini Omashu, with houses and buildings and towers building higher and higher in the center. In the very center was the tower itself. Standing several thousand feet tall the massive stone and metal tower rose high into the air and was covered in massive flags, if the figure were to use his ancient telescope he could have seen the slit at the top of the tower where the Dragon Cannon fired out of, of course he would need the darn rain and thunder clouds to go away.

The figure then turned his attention away from the great building and saw that the column of men, maybe only two or three hundred men, were almost to the capital's huge stairs, leading up to the monster of a building at the top.

Sighing the figure stood up and slowly made his way down the pouring streets of New Ozai. It would take him only a hour to reach the safe house where the others were at, but as he walked he thought back to the day where it had gone so very wrong.

_He was running so fast that he was absolutely sure his lungs were on fire. Suddenly his foot hit a twig and he fell, quiet comically, face first into the muddy ground beneath him. The sound of heavy boots and the clinking of armor was becoming louder and he prepared himself to meet the end. Just as the first soldier turned the corner of the path they had been taking in the woods, a arrow shot forward and impaled the warrior in the throat, the one spot that had the smallest of armor._

_As the Fire Nation soldier fell to the ground, clutching at the arrow as his life essence drained out of him. Before the Water Tribesmen could react a gloved hand grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. "Come on Sokka! We have to go!" the young woman yelled, her hair falling into her eyes as she hauled him up, her armor weave brushed against his blue tunic as the two started to run again, behind them the smoke stacks grew as the Fire Nation continued it's conquest of Earth Kingdom. The burning village of Kyoshi still made Suki's eyes sting as she ran with Sokka._

_Sokka wanted to pull her close and comfort her, but he knew that he could do neither for his fiancee, for if they did not get of Kyoshi then the they would surely die along with the rest of the noble warriors who laid strewn around the ground in the village where the two lovers had fought with Suki's people to defend the village, however it was simple math. Three thousand against two hundred, with most of that two hundred being citizens with no combat experience, they had simply been overwhelmed, slaughtered and now....hunted._

_For hours on end they ran and ran and ran. Their limbs were about to give out when they made it out of the woods surrounding the village, only to find they were now looking over a steep cliff face. The sounds of men hustling through the woods meant the Fire Nation was not that far behind. Sokka considered jumping, but the rocks at the bottom... "Suki..." he started._

_He was shocked when she smacked him hard in the cheek. "No." she said, her voice thick with determination, pride, and fear. "We...WE are NOT giving up....we-we fight till the end" she said with a bit more determination._

_Sokka was silent for a minute before nodding. Just as silently he drew his blade, the same meteor blade he had thought lost at the final battle with Ozai and his fleet of airships, only to be found by aang later. "I love you" he whispered to her as the sounds of the Fire Nation troops, dozens, maybe even hundreds, came closer._

_Suki swallowed deeply. "I love you too" she whispered back. And before the Water Boy could react she kissed him longingly. After a second she pulled back. "I wish we had the time..." she said sadly._

_Before Sokka could get what she meant, he found himself slugged hard in the chest before he was thrown over the edge of the cliff. However he somehow managed to grab onto a loose root. Hacking and coughing he heard the sounds of battle going on as he mustered all his strength to find purchase to the ground above, to help save his crazed fiancee._

_He only managed to get his elbows over the edge, with his face able to catch glimpses of the battle as he struggled, almost comically, as he tried to pull himself up and over the edge. However his struggles were in vain._

_He watched in awe and horror, as he struggled, as Suki spun, twirled, leap, kicked and punched and hacked slashed and stabbed at the small army of fire benders and foot soldiers as she fought with all her might, unaware that her lover was still nearby._

_She had killed many foes, their crumpled red forms laying lifeless on the ground as the sole surviving Kyoshi warrior, her wedding face paint was smeared across her face, her headdress was long gone somewhere in the village, her uniform was torn apart and she was bleeding badly. But she strove on to fight harder._

_Longer and longer the battle raged, only lasting twenty minutes, but seeming endless. However, even while Sokka tried to get from his near falling position to help her, it was over. He watched in horror as Suki completed cleaving a soldiers head from his shoulders, but that was not what caught his attention..or his horror. As she finished this, a archer in the distance, on the edge of the woods. Fired his bow, the twang of the bow as the arrow was sent flying was like death knocking on the door. Suki's door._

_The arrow soared through the air and Sokka saw Suki's eyes widen in surprise just before it pierced her chest. He vaguely heard himself screaming, her name or just random obscenities, most likely both. It didn't matter though, what did matter was that Suki's knees started to buckle. However even being in her death throes the leader of the Kyoshi warriors managed to fell a giant brute of a man, maybe a commander? Who wielded a large axe. As the monster of a man fell, his helm falling to the ground and rolling off the cliff, along with his head, Suki was hit by another arrow, this time in the leg._

_This time he knew he screamed her name, as she fell to her knees, howling in pain as she chucked a knife, taking out another Fire Nation Soldier. When she heard him calling her, she managed to look over her shoulder in fear and fright. "S-Sokka! G-go!" she yelled and threw another sharp knife, tearing a Fire Bender's throat to ribbons._

_That was the last he ever heard from her. As she warned him away, as his grip on the cliff side slipped, Suki had enough time to stare him in the eyes before the last twang sounded in the air. A single arrow slammed into the warriors head from behind. As Sokka howled loudly, whether it was pain or rage he did not know. All he knew was that her eyes, the eyes that had captured his heart, had widened in pain and shock, before shrinking and finally her eyes closed as she fell to the ground, the bloody ground she had felled nearly fifty men, the feathered arrow sticking out of her head in plain view as her face crashed into the ground._

_Sokka had frozen up in shock and let go of the cliff, he had fallen off the edge, but he barely felt anything, his world was gone. His life was gone. His love...was gone. Then he hit the water, nearly hitting a handful of sharp rocks. He sunk deep into the water, and it was good he did, for dozens of arrows and fire balls hit where he had fallen, neatly missing him as he sank deeper._

_Whether it was fate or luck, the Moon spirits had spared him, for he washed ashore some time later, and he awoke three days after the horrible battle. For a great deal of time he had just laid there as the water lapped at him, his mind wandering to the oddest of places. However soon his sister and Aang had found him, how, he did not know or care. They had been shocked to find him the way he was. Cut up, bruised and soaking wet._

_If they had not found him then....he would have most likely died, as it was the doctors at the small town they had gone to had barely been able to save him. He withdrew into himself for a few weeks, rarely talking and barely eating. After a month he had managed to get over it, by fueling his anger at the Fire Nation troops that had invaded his home, however now his home was gone as well, burned to the ground by the devils that came from fire. That's all they were...devils._

With a shock Sokka found himself staring at the door to the small building that had become his home. The Ba Sing Se Upper Ring Safe House. It was just like the houses that the Fire Nation, or Inferno Empire as they now called themselves, loved.

It was a large estate to him, having grown up in a small tent most of his life, then he had been living in a sleeping bag and finally the small cottage he and Suki had shared before that fateful day. It was roughly the size of the apartment they had lived in before the Capital had been overthrown by Zuko and Azula, the first time. It had two floors, six bedrooms and two baths, one for each floor. The walls were dark oak and the floor was also dark oak, the roof however was the pagoda style roof made of normal painted wood.

The stairs outside were made of black stone and the stairs inside were made of plain red wood. The entire place was just a black and red combination all over the place. Red lines and black walls. Gold here and there and of course the symbols of the Empire painted on the walls, or shown on their rich tapestries. There was a few couches and chairs in the small living room, they also had a dining room and kitchen, all in all it was really nice.

If only they had time to enjoy it, if any had the extra strength left to want to. Almost every at his outpost was nursing a wound or two from a dead family member or loved one. He still found it odd how only a few months after the occupation of the Inferno Empire Sokka had found himself a Captain in the Resistance that had spread all over the Earth Kingdom, commanding a small outpost that basically spied on the troop, food and supply movements all over the city.

So far he had eleven others under his command. Five burly earth benders from the great war, three normal men who had also been in the great war and two teenagers who had joined up to avenge both of their respective families deaths. Those two, one boy and girl, both seventeen, had been a real pain, he swore he was going to have a twelfth member in his outpost one day.

When he had said just that to them the other day, well their faces, Jeng's, the boy, had been utter embarrassment, and Ming's, the girl, had been furious. The two however were only recruits and had to respect him, so they had shut up and listened to him. After he had dealt with that matter his last member had arrived a week later.

Lo had to be the strangest kid he had ever met. Only eleven years old, his time with Aang had taught him to not judge a kid by his age, with brown hair and grey eyes. He had slightly white skin, more then normal, and was actually really good at spying. Sokka had taken him out to a spying mission once, and the kid had done a better job then Sokka had ever done.

Somehow the kid had come to see him as a fatherly figure or a big brother because he was always trying to impress him with what he had found, done, made or something of that sort.

Sighing Sokka sighed as he opened the door and walked in, he was starting to think to deeply, one day he might end up getting killed for it. However the thought of being with Suki again, didn't sound like _such_ a bad idea. Shaking his head, he pulled the Inferno Empire Topknot piece in his hair. Since he was posing undercover as a wealthy Noble, he had to look the part, and constantly pulling out the stolen family seal of the Fuzo clan still made him sick, even if it was fire devils, stealing a clans name was wrong. He also was supposed to wear a fire nation robe, but being this late at night he snuck around in his blue parka, the same one he had left his home with, so long ago.

As he thought of home he was hit by another thought that had plagued him. Ever since the invasion of the Southern Water Tribe Sokka had never seen his Sister or Aang. Where they were was beyond him, he often just ignored the thought, as it caused to much pain.

As he moved down the hall towards his room at the far end of the bottom floor, in the far right corner of the building, the memory of that day in the Southern Water Tribe hit him full force.

_Sokka slashed at a Fir...Inferno Empire foot soldier and as the man fell, his life essence pouring from his headless neck, he had chucked the man's spear, which then impaled another soldier in the stomach. Not even caring to wonder how he could have killed the man from a stomach blow, as the armor there was still rather thick, Sokka had run across the bloodied snow and killed more along the way until he made it to the center of his village._

"_Katara!" he yelled and found his sister and Aang busy with a Inferno tank. The black monster was firing streams of fire at the recently built ice houses. After the war, dozens of Water Benders from the North had shown up and had helped rebuild the Southern Water Tribe. Along with the new houses and expanding the village, they had repopulated the other villages scattered around the South Pole. Now, however, they were under a brutal attack by the Inferno Empire, though most were still thinking of it as the Fire Nation._

_Getting back to the real world Sokka was just in time to see Katara water bend it's treads and Aang blasted it into the air, sending it into the arctic ocean. However as soon as the tank had gone down, a column more of the tanks started rolling off the docked ships, at least thirteen tanks, and began firing fire balls at the small Water Tribesmen force defending their main village._

_Sokka quickly ran with Aang and Katara down the slope towards the small bay where a few dozen ships had once been docked. Now they were at the bottom of the freezing ocean as the Inferno Empire's navy took up residence._

_Aang and Katara went to work freezing and then blasting the tanks off into the ocean, but there was simply to many. Already another twenty were coming from the far end of the village, a huge smoke cloud rising in the air from were the far Southern Village had once rested. Sokka saw red and started hacking at any soldier that came close to him, the black meteor blade slashing easily through the Inferno's armor, despite being some of the strongest and lightest stuff ever made._

"_Sokka!" a voice yelled and he turned to see his father, who had ran up to him in the midst of the battle. "We need to retreat, the entire Southern end has fallen and Yin said he and his ships have to leave now!" he yelled over the battle._

_Sokka felt cold. Abandon his home to be torched....to give up his heritage? "No!" he yelled as he continued to fight. "We can win this!" he yelled._

_Hakoda sighed and then put a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka! We need to go no-" he started to yell when suddenly a massive explosion, a fire ball from one of the ships catapults hitting the ground, went off just three feet from them. Both men were tossed into the air and landed hard into the partially frozen snow._

_Sokka looked up groggily and to his horror saw his father laying face first in the snow. Moving quickly the warrior moved over and flipped his father onto his back. He was horrified to see blood leaking out of his fathers mouth, as well as his left eye rolled upwards and blood leaking from it. His father put his hand on Sokka's shoulder. "You...take....good care...of Katara...." he whispered painfully before his arm dropped away and his right eye closed slowly. His breathing stopped and Sokka howled his rage._

_The young warrior only saw red, for the second time that day, and ran right at the Inferno soldiers. He continued to slash them apart with his long sword for only a few minutes before fire balls started hitting all around him. Suddenly more fire balls started peppering all over the village. Sokka finished his lunge into a man's chest and pulled out and looked at the burning and destroyed village he had grown up in._

_suddenly he remembered Katara and Aang. He looked around frantically and was shocked to not see them anywhere. Remembering his father's dying words he ran back into the burning village to look for them and found nothing, where had they gone? Were they dead? Sokka hoped the latter was false and the former true as he started to leave the burning village, as the Inferno Empire continued it's bombardment on the village. More of their tanks taking up positions outside of the bombardment and started pouring waves of fire on the town._

_Sokka stopped only for a minute to stare in horror as the town was literally wiped off the face of the earth before running farther up the slopes and out into the snowy tundra._

Sokka let out something equivalent to a whimper as he entered his room. It was pretty much a spartan like room, since they would have to leave in a moments notice if they were found out. A feathered bed in the corner and a oak desk on the far wall, papers and writing quills scattered across it's wooden face. There was a dresser near the door, a fire place across from his desk, near his bed and a full length mirror on the other side of the room. The only other things in the small room were the fire candles and tapestries of the Inferno Empire.

He missed his Father, his Sister and Aang. Unlike Hakoda, he had no idea where his Sister and friend were, or if they were alive. He had almost died that day too after all. If not for...Yue. He still remembered that day.

_Sokka was slowly starting to freeze to death, his life force draining away as the cold ate at him, laying in a pile of snow. Having given up his will to live. The numbing feeling that had begun to cover his body was more then welcome. He wanted to forget that his Father had just died, and worse, it was probably his fault._

_Sokka felt his life reaching the end, like his last time at Kyoshi. Struggling bitterly to get back on the cliff as his world crashed around him, but he still had fallen off in the end. But just like last time...the spirits had shown him their grace. He saw a blinding light, forcing his eyes shut. When he opened them...he was shocked._

_Before him, just like he had last seen her, was Yue. Floating in the air like before when he had seen her in the swamp, her hair floating and spread out behind her as she looked down on him with a mixture of fear, sadness and dread. "Sokka" she said quietly. "Im sorry...im so so very sorry" she said quietly before she reached down and touched his head. That's when everything had gone white, then black, then he had blinked and he was laying in a field in what was obviously the Earth Kingdom. Or New Fire Nation._

_Slowly Sokka got up and wondered what that was supposed to mean, then he turned around and found two Earth Benders staring at him. "He's awake!" one called. Almost immediately a group of ten or so more Earth Benders or at least soldiers, had shown up and were walking towards him._

"_Who might you be son?" one of them said, most likely the leader. He had heavier and grander design on his armor, but also a older face and the scars of battle. "I am General Quin Lue" he said and offered his hand to the warrior. "i'm assuming you are a water tribesman, but you cloths beg to differ" he added._

_Sokka nodded. "I'm Sokka sir. Did you bring me here?" he asked in confusion._

_The man also looked confused. "Bring you? Son we found you here. I just arrived, my scouts here" he said nodding to the two men who had been watching him, "Just sent word that we had a surviving Water Bender" he said._

_Sokka looked surprised. "Surviving Water Bender?" he asked._

_The man's face became stony and sad. "Son...how long have you been gone from the water tribes? They...they were completely wiped out, or at least the Southern one" he said grimly. "Not more then a week ago" he added sadly._

_Sokka looked shocked. "W-WHAT!" he exclaimed._

_The man held up his hands. "Please calm down Prince Sokka" he said, referring to Sokka being of the royal family, of sorts, of the Southern Water Tribe._

"_No...you don't get it. I WAS THERE! JUST THERE! I had just been talking to Yu..." Sokka suddenly froze up. "YUE!" he exclaimed and slapped his face._

_\_

_The General looked confused, surprised and a bit worried before finally setting on determined. "Perhaps...you should come back with me to my base and explain everything, for I am most intrigued how and what has happened" he said and pointed towards the woods. "If you would care to join me?" he asked. Though it had not sounded entirely like a question or request._

_Sokka nodded, where else did he have to go._

As Sokka fell down in the chair near the desk he remembered that time. The General had brought him to his fortress under the woods near Ba Sing Se and he had told his story, starting with the start of the day and talking with his father over breakfast. All the way to the end of the battle and, a bit more reluctantly, he explained about Yue's appearance and a bit of his history with her.

The General, in truth was floored. He, however, then explained that some times the Spirits would intervene with the natural events of the world, to steer the world back on track. Sokka knew this to be true, for Roku had been helping Aang along the way the entire time, as well as a handful of the other Avatars and even the Moon and Water Spirits.

After a few weeks they had decided to give him a Captain status and had sent him, along with three basic foot soldiers from the Great War, two of them were the men from earlier that had watched him. Weng and Chu Fo, along with Fo Li. They had given him the small apartment in the upper ring of New Ozai and had given him basic instructions. Even though a messenger came every now and again, ranging from once a week to three times a month.

Since then Sokka had spent the roughly two years of his service as a Captain in the Resistance trying to help the cause, as he had nothing else left in his life. However he had been not so secretly been searching for his Sister and Aang. But for some odd reason no one, no one at all, had seen either two or the bison.

A few months after the South Pole was deemed safe, the Earth Resistance had sent a small group, among them had been Fo, who had promised to look for Sokka, as the newly minted Captain could not leave his post. Sadly, or Hopefully, depending on how you looked at it, there was no sign of either the Avatar or the Princess. As well as there was no sign of the Bison being found.

Although they did find signs that a brief naval battle had taken place in what was left of the Northern Village, where the retreating fleet had been. Whether they had escaped. Or been destroyed. Had never been found out to this day.

Sokka was pulled out of his long line of thoughts by a knock at his door. "Sokka! Dinner!" a Female voice called. That had to be Ming, letting him know that the food was done. Ironically, and also painfully. It reminded him of Katara.

He stood up from his chair and briefly stroked the short beard that was growing on his chin. "Coming Ming" he called before heading for the door. When he got outside the others were all ready there, or at least most of them were. As a rule they had, at a minimum, a third of the group out on patrol at all times. That way if they were attacked then some of them would escape.

He sat down at the battered wooden table as Ming and Jeng put the food on the table. Fo, one of his oldest friends, as he, Chu, Meng and Fo had been the first here for half the time they had been here, glanced at him. "How'd it go?" he asked.

Sokka sighed. "Another company or two...there massing up for the North....i just know it" he mumbled as he began eating the bowl of dumplings and soup he had been given. "Thank you Ming" he said as he continued to eat, his voice having long since lost it's cheerful attitude.

Fo sighed. "Don't worry Sokka, im sure the Avatar and your Sister are up in the North, and if they are, we'll be the first to know" he said.

Sokka snorted. "My Sister being in a country about to be invaded is not comforting...but at least Aang is with her" he murmured as he drank some of the tea before him, which, because of the occupation, was Spice Tea. After a while he had adjusted to the taste, or rather his throat had been burned to were he no longer cared, as Fo joked.

Ming and Jeng had stopped their cuddling in Jeng's seat, something Sokka looked down on, but didn't really care to bug them about it, "what was the Avatar like?" Ming asked for the thousandth time. Having been only twelve or eleven when the occupation started. And even younger when the Fire Nation was overrun. She had never gotten to really see the Avatar or hear much about him. And as such, both she and Jeng loved hearing his stories about his travels, as the rest of the outpost's inhabitants did.

Sokka sighed. "He was a lot like you" he said calmly. "Alot like you and Jeng. Young and childesh, but he had a inner wisdom that I haven't seen in years. He would do the craziest things and..." Sokka went on with a few tales about the great legend all through the short dinner they had.

* * *

**Good grief that was long... over five five thousand words.... my fingers hurt..**

**well like usual im hungry, the only, I mean it ONLY, time I can write good fics. Anyways thanks for reading the chapter, now...to clear things up.**

**Just encase I didn't explain anything right, like I usually do, this fic is based five years after the end of the war. I most likely messed up the time line in one of the first chapters, so just ignore them, it is based FIVE YEARS AFTER the war ended. Two years after the three year occupation of the Fire Nation. Sokka should be roughly twenty one, I think, If my math is right.**

**Also, I am sorry for Suki and Hakoda dying. I actually like both characters. However, Suki was needed to die, as you will see later, and Hakoda just kinda happened. Also I plan to flesh out the back stories of the other main characters, and I plan to do the same with my OC's too. Im sorry if you like completely action or romantic fics, I like the former too, but the majority of the first four or five chapters is going to explain a LOT of the story.**

**If you don't want to read the back stories that will explain everything, thats cool. Just read the parts you want, but still you MUST READ and REVIEW!**

**Well thats all I got, im sure I forgot something but ah well. REVIEW!!!!**

**C U NEXT TiME! * Theme music plays ***


	4. Chapter 4

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 4: Aang and Katara's Story_

**Well I was a bit put down that no one was reviewing, but Imperial Warlord and Justthisguyyouknow for their reviews! Oh and I want to thank Justthisguyyouknow for pointing out my mistakes, like misspelling Aang and Katara's name. And to answer your quibble: I didn't mean have him hanging that long, but well....it just seemed so funny in my mind of him puffing and huffing while his eyes bulged out trying to climb up the cliff. Thanks for the review!**

**Anyways this chap will flesh out the history of Aang and Katara from the end of the war to now. Hope you like It, REVIEW OR BE DESTROYED!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, it's Characters or Merchandise and other products under it's ownership. I do own my OC's, the plot and hope to one day own Canada. Who doesn't love their bacon?**

She rolled over, the rain was bugging her. The storm seemed to be pouring from the heavens as if the spirits had opened a water gate, letting the water that had building there flow into their world. And it was definitely flowing. For three days they had been stuck in the town of Madam Wu.

All because Madam Wu had said, 'your journey shall take a turn' and Aang, had of course believed her, for some reason he had never questioned her. Katara sighed as two masculine arms wrapped around her and pulled her against a equally built chest. That was something she had been getting used to...

Over the past few years Aang had..changed. He had grown his hair out to the length he had it at when they had been traveling the Fire Nation during the war. And not just in style, while he did change to a rather dashing Imperial tunic and cloak, since they were traveling in enemy territory, but he had also gotten taller. A LOT taller. He had grown so tall he actually had to lean DOWN when they kissed. And he had been working out, something she rather appreciated.

But Katara never seemed to have the cared to appreciate any of his changes in a long time, probably after Sokka and Suki had been thought dead after the island of Kyoshi was burned to the ground the same night as their private wedding ceremony, which her father had been a bit upset that he could not attend their wedding ceremony, due to the Warriors customs. she had only seemed more depressed when Sokka had gone missing with their father during the battle.

"Your thinking about it again, aren't you" the normally cheerful voice said, now a comforting seriousness. Katara nodded as the now eighteen Aang held her as she started to silently cry. She turned over and buried her face in his chest. Even after two years the wound was still fresh in her mind.

"It's..it's just not fair" Katara whispered after a few minutes, her sobbing having subsided. "After all of those years of having my Father gone during the war, then Sokka moved away to Kyoshi....and...and now both him and my father are gone...again!" She cried again before holding tighter to Aang.

The large monk nodded silently, still upset for having lost Sokka during the battle. He had been so sure that Hakoda would bring him to Appa that he had put all his concentration on protecting Katara as they moved more Villagers onto the friendly Bison. "It's not your fault Katara" he whispered as she cried harder, the rain was pouring down on them as the memories came back to the couple.

"_AHHH!" Aang growled loudly and smashed a scroll into the wall with a powerful air blast. He stormed out of his room and started marching down the hall towards the exit of Iroh's house._

_After the retired General had re-opened his tea shop the gang had been staying in the small house the fire bender owned, as he said he could use some company for a while, since Zuko was gone in the Fire Nation, fixing the world._

_Needless to say the gang had agreed. After months of fighting and traveling all the time, they had decided they should rest for awhile in Ba Sing Se. Aang pushed those thoughts aside, he was going to go talk with General Chong, the Leader of the Earth Kingdom until a new King could be found. Bumi had declined so the search was still out and about._

_As he stormed through the house for the exit Katara and Iroh noticed him and stood up from their game of Pai Sho. "Whats wrong Aang?" Katara asked her boyfriend, worry in her tone at seeing his murderous expression._

_Iroh himself was just as confused. "What troubles you young one?" he said at the same time Katara. The look the boy was giving off was completely opposite of his personality. Aang mearly grunted and tossed them a battered scroll, the same one he had picked up before leaving his room._

_While the two benders bent down to pick up the scroll Aang had left. By the time they had picked it up and began to read it. Katara gasped heavily and Iroh simply dropped the scroll, his eyes unfocused and pain, confusion and anger fought for dominance over his facial features._

_Meanwhile, it had only taken Aang five minutes to reach the Palace after riding on Appa. The young bender dropped to the ground and marched towards the large doors. Recently rebuilt after being blown apart to capture the palace from the Fire Benders holding it during the battle for Ba Sing Se._

_The two Royal Guards that were standing at attention on either side of the door immediately snapped their spears before the door in a criss-cross pattern. When Aang glared at one of the guards the other spoke up. "I am sorry Avatar Aang. But, General Chong has left standing orders to deny entrance from any that attempt to enter" the guard said, the speech sounding slightly forced._

_Aang growled. "either open the doors or i'll blow them open. I AM going to see Chong" he said, once again, adopting the serious voice that only a child that was a hundred and thirteen could possible have._

_The two guards seriously seemed to consider this before shaking their heads, their loyalty lied with the Earth Kingdom, not the Avatar. Aang growled again and then, gently, encased both guards with Earth Bending. As the two men struggled to free themselves from the rock that was covering them up to their necks, Aang blasted the, once more destroyed, gates into the wall behind them with a powerful air blast._

_Almost at once, dozens of guards started pouring all over him, Aang, once again, was forced to fight the Earth Guards as he made his way to the War Room. Using a mixture of Earth, Water and Air Bending he was able to subdue the Guards without leaving them in pain, or at least very much pain. A broken arm at the most._

_After ten minutes he had reached the doors to the War Room. Behind him layed nearly four dozen guards that were sprawled all over the hall ways length. Using his Earth Bending to make sure no one was in the way, he raised his fist and sent another air blast, this time blowing the doors straight down into the floor._

_The young bender marched in, a furious glare on his face as he stared at the small group of Earth Benders, Generals and Soldiers. All staring at him with varying looks. Ranging from Anger, Contempt, Annoyance and even Fear. As the last Air Bender on the face of the earth marched in, a burly Earth General with graying hair and green eyes cleared his throat. "Master Avatar. Is there a reason you wish to disturb our meeting?" he asked, not even trying to keep the contempt and annoyance out of his voice._

_Aang glared at him heatedly. "You..." he said, and his tattoos started to glow a faint blue. "You have corrupted the Elements" he said, gaining in volume as his eyes began to glow, his voice was starting to mix with all of the past avatars as he stared at the General. Who had a flicker of fear cross his eyes for barely a second before changing to the usual contempt he had for the Avatar since he had met him a few weeks ago when he claimed leadership until a King was found._

"_And what. Might I ask. Do you mean" he said in a menacing whisper._

_Aang growled again. Starting to rise a inch off the floor. "You have invaded the Fire Nation! You fool!" This time Roku took over Aang's voice. "You have restarted a war you cannot win!" he bellowed across the stone chamber._

_The General took a step back, as all did when dealing with Roku, the legendary Fire Bender and possibly one of the most Powerful Avatars and Benders on the Earth. "The Earth Kingdom is completely in line!" he growled loudly. "Most of our land and People and Culture was either destroyed or damaged during the war. The Southern Water Tribe was nearly wiped out! The Northern Water tribe was besieged and the Fire Nation suffered no more then troop and supply loss? And you say we have to right to make THEM HURT!" he shot out._

_Suddenly the room was covered in a blue glow as Roku himself, in his Spiritual form, took shape where Aang had stood, much like he had at the temple on Crescent Island. "THE FIRE NATION HAS REPENTED THEIR SINS! AND NOW YOU HAVE COMMITTED YOURS! THE ELEMENTS AND NATIONS ARE OUT OF BALANCE BECAUSE **YOU** CONTINUE THE DESTRUCTION THAT WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED!" Roku yelled, however it was not a desperate scream or murderous rage. It was a commanding lecture as the legend stared into the Generals soul._

_The General glared at Roku. "Your time on this earth has ended, oh Avatar Roku. The Nations will stand up for the blood loss **WE** suffered while **YOU** Avatars hid from us in our **GREATEST** time of need. Do **NOT** Repremind me for you **FAILING** to stop the war from beginning!" the General barked back. He then made a snapping sound and his soldiers raised their weapons. "It is time for **you** to leave" he said, practically spitting when he said 'you'._

_Roku, for it seemed his time limit was up, had disappeared and now Aang stood before them. He glared. "I will not leave. I will fix this before you destroy everything" he said calmly, yet dangerously, as he once more fell into his serious and older age._

_The General sighed sarcastically. "You know" he said after a minute. "It would be a terrible shame if one of your friends were to have a accident if you were to remain here.." he said, the threatening tone in his voice reminded him of Long Fang. "Now. I will ask this one more time...Please leave" he said coldly._

_Aang growled and stared right at him, like Roku had. " You will bring the world to it's knees in your foolishness" he said as a parting shot before leaving. However at the very last second he spun on his heel and blasted a huge ball of fire at the man before jumping up and breaking through the roof with earth bending._

Aang still wondered why he had tried to take the man's life, it had been so sudden. He still wondered if Roku or one of his other Fire Bending past lives had done it. As Roku had done so before, but. Then why had they not done it with his fight with Ozai. Aang shook his head of the memory. He had learned few days after they had fled Ba Sing Se, Iroh was among them, as they had been attacked and chased by the new Dai Li and Earth Bending Commando's, that the General had survived.

He remembered when they had arrived in the village of Madam Wu just a scant week after they had fled. Little more then two days later they had left.

_Aang stared around at the small group he had come to think of as family as they prepared to make their farewells. He, Sokka, Suki and Katara were heading for the Southern Water Tribe, while Toph was heading for her home, hoping to get her Family to support the occupation of the Fire Nation. Iroh was heading for the Fire Nation, _hoping_ to see if he could find his grandson, who was reportedly dead, but the old General had hope he would find him._

_Aang sighed. "well, I guess this is it huh?" he said softly. Katara and Toph were hugging goodbye while Iroh let out a random proverb about all paths crossing each other's before the end. After everyone had said their goodbyes they headed their own ways. Iroh was heading for Chameleon Bay, where a water tribe outpost was, and where he could safely get transportation to the Fire Nation. Toph was simply going to walk here way to her house, stating that she was 'going down memory lane before it hit the fan' and the rest of team Avatar, Aang, Sokka, Suki, Katara, Momo and Appa were heading to the Southern Water tribes on Appa._

_Little did they all know that this was the last time they would see each other for three years._

Katara sighed. "We didn't try hard enough..." she whispered. Aang nodded in agreement after a while. He knew that she meant the day they had arrived in the South Pole. Suddenly both were remembering the time, almost as if the spirits had ensnared both in a vision.

_Katara and Sokka ran off Appa and hugged their Father tightly. "we missed you!" Katara said happily as Hakoda returned the bear hug. He chuckled as he messed with each's hair._

"_Sokka you certainly have gotten stronger. And my darling Katara how beautiful you have grown in such a short amount of time!" he said as the three laughed. However, while the Water Tribe family reunited after the several months after the war, Aang had stayed next to Appa, still depressed and slightly broody._

_After a few minutes Katara took on a serious face. "Dad...why did the Water Tribes not help the Fire Nation, why are we supporting this occupation." she asked quietly. Almost immediately the air seemed to thicken and Hakoda lost the smile on his face, and the joy in his eyes._

_Sighing he stared at the three of them. "The council..." he said sadly. "They overruled me. I tried to stop our tribe from aiding them but...." he gestured at their village. "....there's just to many people still angry at them here, and after the North Pole agreed to sending aid to the Earth Kingdom...well. They decided to go as well" he said grimly, obviously not happy about it either._

They had spent the next two years arguing with the newly made council of the Southern Water Tribes, trying to get the Fire Nation out of the occupation. However, the Northern Tribes were to fixed on their hatred, and the Earth Kingdom had labeled them fugitives. Aang sighed, his chest moving out as he let the air leave his lips. "It's ok Katara...we did our best" he said, trying to comfort her.

Katara sighed sadly. "No Aang" she said just as sadly. "We didn't". After a few minutes she curled up against him and fell asleep. However, for Aang, he stayed up long into the night thinking. As the beautiful water tribe girl slept on him as the storm howled outside, Aang was forced to remember some of the most painful and regretful memories of the past five years.

_Aang was shocked. Just shocked. His gray eyes stared into the gold ones before him. Never, never had he ever thought this would happen. That such a thing could possibly come to pass. "No" he said calmly, yet sternly._

_Zuko looked at him oddly, dressed in his red and gold armor, his helmet laying on the desk near him. "Aang. Surely you, of all people, can see that now, more then ever, the world **NEEDS** a single government to stop all of these back stabbing and death. It's the world's destiny. We will struggle and die until years into the future we will begin anew as a single world order. I am only trying to help things along" he said calmly, not believing his friend would ignore what had been done to his people, after they had repented their ways._

_Aang shook his head. "No, Zuko. This is not the way. Death is **NEVER** the way" he said strongly. Zuko narrowed his eyes at this._

"_Maybe my grand father and great grand father were right. The other Nations **are blind**" he said coldy as he stared at his old friend. "i will make this simple then" he said and took a breath before holding out a hand. "you can join me and help me shape the world in a new order...or you can perish as Roku did. I would hope you would spare me the displeasure" he stated ruthlessly._

_Aang stared at him, then his hand and then at the map of the world behind Zuko's desk. Slowly, tentatively he reached out and grabbed Zuko's hand. The Fire Lord smiled. Grateful he had made the right choice. However his smile was wiped off in seconds as Aang took a deep breath, as if preparing for something very difficult, before quickly rolled backwards, and launched Zuko at the wall, with such force and speed that the young Fire Lord was blasted through the few inches of steel that blocked his command cabin from the hallway outside that led throughout the Cruiser that Zuko was using as his Flagship, which was docked in a Earth Kingdom port._

_Before the black haired fire master had a chance to recover Aang had jumped through the hole and had begun using air and brute force, due to the muscle he had begun to build, to slowly beat the Fire Lord down the halls of the ship. Zuko had also started using a massive amount of fire bending, the two left the halls behind them in flaming ruins as Aang and Zuko moved their heated combat outside onto the deck of the large ship._

"_What are you going to do Aang?" Zuko sneered as he took on the cruel persona that had reclaimed him after the Earth Kingdom's betrayal. "You won't kill me...you wouldn't kill my father!" he sneered before sending a large fire ball at the Air bender._

_Aang jumped high and the ball of fire smashed into a trebuchet, causing it to explode into the air and crash onto the deck, making the crew of the ship scatter around the deck trying to get out of the deadly duel._

"_Don't make me Zuko!" Aang yelled. As he said this both became aware how shockingly alike their duel was with Sozin's and Roku's. Zuko seemed to take this into account for he spoke up as they traded air and fire blows, just like they had nearly four years ago when they had first met and Zuko had hunted Aang across the globe._

"_You and I know how this ended the last time the Fire Lord and Avatar fought! Don't make me leave you for dead!" Zuko shouted, making one more attempt at keeping his friends from harm._

_Aang shook his head as the two stopped their fighting for a few seconds as they stared at each other, both breathing heavily, despite the battle only being a few minutes old they had been using great stores of energy, leaving much of the command ship in ruins. "The only thing....i remember...was your father laying on the ground and....the war over" Aang shot back slightly out of breath._

_Zuko's eyes hardened. "Then you are truly a fool" he said softly before yelling loudly before blasting his arms forward with his mouth, sending a huge fire ball across the deck, scorching the deck that it skimmed over as it raced at Aang. Aang didn't hesitate as he swung both arms opposite of their sockets and immediately two massive waves of water, going well over the top of the ship, washed over the ship, drowning the fireball as it flooded over the mighty ship, threatening to sink the beast._

_When Zuko stood back up after a few seconds of getting air back into his lungs, the deck was steaming heavily as the water put out all the flames, leaving the Fire Lord and what was left of the deck crew in a puddle covered deck, with scorch marks all over and a large amount of steam rising all around them. Zuko glanced around and found no trace of Aang, however he doubted him to be dead. Slowly he started to growl and then snarl before popping his head back and howling loudly as he breathed a tower of fire from his mouth into the air in his rage, his cloths starting to steam as well as the water around him and his fists blazed with fire._

_Aang had washed up on a beach down the coast, far away from Zuko or his men. However the young Avatar, at the time being around sixteen, felt heavily depressed. Now he was sure that Zuko would start a new war, and with the other Nations in such sad shape, there was little hope they would be able to stop it, not even mention winning it._

_Sighing the young hero pulled out his whistle and blew on it. Within minutes Appa had arrived, Katara was riding on the saddle and looked rather worried. "i saw it" she said quietly. "Aang...what are you going to do about Zuko?" she asked as the monk climbed onto the massive bison and with his customary ' yip yip' they had started flying off towards the nearest town before heading back to the south pole._

_The bald headed boy stared off into the sun, standing high in the air, as if to decree to the world that the Fire Nation had risen again, and was back on the war path. "I...I don't know Katara" he said softly as he trembled slightly. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Katara had already brought him into her arms and was already using her water flask to heal his burns. "this wasn't supposed to happen" he mumbled as Katara nodded sadly._

Aang was pulled from that memory, almost like on a slide, and was sent straight into another one, only a few months later. They had just recently found Sokka and had just recently arrived at the south pole.

_Aang sighed and stretched from their shared bed. He groggily rubbed his head before standing up in the small igloo that he and Katara were sharing for their short stay at their icy base of operations, and began to pull on his shirt and then his parka and heavy pants that fit right over his normal brown ones._

_He then bent down and gently shook Katara awake. As the brunette awoke just as tiredly as he had, Aang pulled on his snow boots. Something he thought were actually kinda cool. As he finished with the cheap laces Katara stood up and yawned loudly. "We need to hurry if you want to eat with your Father and Sokka" Aang Said matter o' factly._

_Katara nodded. A few years ago she might have asked him how he knew what the time was, but had just gotten used to the fact that he had both a good sense of time, and being the Avatar seemed to allow one to become one with the world, in every sense, or at least this one._

_After they finished putting on their heavy clothes they exited the Igloo and made their way across the recently constructed streets of the re-built capital city of the Southern Water Tribes. The two eventually made it to a small building near the city center and quickly entered, least the snow fallow them in._

_One of the greatest things about the North Pole's Water Bender's helping re-build the city was that the North Pole had a secret technique that allowed them to make the ice to were it actually concentrated the cold **OUTSIDE**. The technique was actually so perfected that they could actually have a **FIRE** inside the building. Something that the combined benders of the Fire Nation and Northern Water Tribes had been very proud of._

_The house had four rooms on the bottom floor and three on the top floor. The bottom floor housed a Kitchen, living room, dining room and recently made bathroom, something they had not had in a century. The top floor housed Hakoda's room, Sokka and Suki's room and a guest room, which Aang and Katara had declined using._

_As the two master benders entered they found Sokka seated at the dining table, eating silently as Hakoda walked in with a tray with three bowls of soup, and a bowl of fish, on it. He smiled at the two of them suggestively before placing the tray on the table and taking a bowl of soup and some fish and then sat down at the table, which was wood. "We were beginning to wonder if you were going to join us" he said with laughter. Sokka simply stared off into the depths of his soup, still heavily depressed after losing Suki so recently. Both Aang and Katara sat down at the table, their faces covered in a heavy blush._

_Hakoda smiled for a minute before he started talking with Aang. "Our scouts report that the Fire Nation is moving deeper inland, their really driving deep into the Earth Kingdom territory._

_Katara snorted. "Well duh. Before they were just doing this for land and wealth. Now their troops have a solid **reason** to invade and conquer the Earth Kingdom. This is exactly why we shouldn't have gone against them, we should have thrown our support with the Fire Nation and then maybe the Earth Kingdom would have backed off and war would have been avoided" she said sadly, still keeping a slightly happy tone in her voice, just to try and lighten the mood._

_Hakoda nodded sadly. "I fear that our days are just as numbered as the Earth Kingdom" he said, not even realizing how right he was. The others fell silent for a while as they ate, each lost in their own thoughts._

_After a few minutes Katara spoke up. "Aang, ready to go to the day care?" she asked at last. The bald monk finished eating before nodding. Standing up the monk did a little bow to Hakoda._

"_Thank you for the meal" he said politely. Hakoda chuckled and returned the slight bow. _

"_No Aang, it's the least I can do for all you have done. And besides you'll be my son in law soon!" he said with that same laughter, that caused both to make a hasty retreat from the village chief, blushing harder then ever before._

_Once they had escaped Hakoda the two benders had moved across the snow covered streets of the ice city, slowly growing to the same size as the North Pole's capital. Both had to still admire the new look the village had now. Dozens of ice houses, igloos and even more tents covered the area, taking up a generous amount of the coast that the old village had once stood on._

_As they walked towards the small daycare building, taking care of the children of the village had become one of Katara's duty, and Aang had immediately started helping her, a few children ran across the slightly packed street, playing some sort of game of tag. However one of the little children, with black hair and blue eyes, fell flat on his face into the cold hard ice padded ground._

_As the boy began to wail Aang had already moved ahead of her and had slowly and carefully picked the child up, then in his usual goofy way had started making a small air and water show, making a mini Ying and Yang halves dancing in the air and then reforming back in the Ying Yang symbol._

_Ever so slowly the child stopped crying and then started clapping and wailing happily as three or more children ran over and started watching the act. Even some of the adults walking the streets stopped to watch, as Aang started making the symbol switch colors by using his bending, suddenly the water Ying Yang changed to a Ice Ying and a Fire Yang. Then after a few minutes it became a air and Earth, and then Fire and Water and then reformed to it's original water form._

_The entire time the children, and even some of the adults, had been clapping and cheering at the small show. Finally Aang started the water spinning faster and faster and faster and faster in a tight circle, mimicking how Katara had bended the spirit water on his back, just without the glow._

_Then he suddenly thrust his hands out and the water shot into the air and with a mastery of water bending he managed to quickly change them into ice tears, and then just before they hit any of the children, he formed them into small appa figurines._

_As they once again started walking towards the daycare, the children now in toe with there small ice figurines in their little hands, Katara leaned over and gave Aang a gentle hug, sensing he was a bit worn out from the concentration of the little show, even though it seemed simple and easy. "Thanks" she said and gave him a light peck on the cheek, causing some of the children to giggle._

_Aang had once again blushed, the third time that day, and nodded. "I-it was no problem K-Katara" he said, trying to hide the blush. After a few more minutes they arrived at the small building and went on inside._

_The daycare was just a small one story ice building that had three rooms. A nursery, playroom and of course, the all important bathroom. It was a child's daycare after all._

_The two benders spent the next several hours with a few other volunteers changing diapers, playing with children, putting on shows for them, sometimes using both her and Aang's bending, and keeping them out of trouble. After their time had ended the two left the building, a bit reluctantly as all the children tried to convince Katara to let them 'keep' Aang._

_After that was over with the two had gone to one of the recently built and highly popular restaurants in the center of the town. Yes having the North Pole help in building the town had been **very** good idea._

_It had no real name and was actually pretty small, but it was good and comfortable. With a small menu of both Northern and Southern Water Tribes, it consisted of mainly varying fish, soups, bread and bear, seal and other meats. The building itself was a simple two room structure. With the larger room were the others could eat at and the second room being the storage room and kitchen. _

_The former of the rooms had a handful of wooden and a ice tables spread around, with chairs and even a medium sized fire, that made most grateful for the powerfully bended ice, and a small bar in the far back, were they also paid for their meals._

_Katara was still getting used to the odd buildings and ways that had been made in her village, when even in it's prime had never gone to building tables and restaurants that much._

_Both simply ordered, and quickly ate, a simple fish dish and then left after paying for their meals. The two then started heading for the training grounds. Which was just a small spot outside of the city, were before warriors would train and spar. Now though, there was a second field build and maintained, were Katara and Aang helped train the next generation of water benders._

_The small class before them ranged from a few ten year olds to a few thirteen year olds, and, quite humorously, even a couple of adults. Aang quickly sat down on the floor with Katara, as did the rest of the class. After everyone had bowed to each other Katara cleared her throat._

"_Ok class today...." she started, but began to trail off. "Oh no" she whispered as Aang and the water bending class stared at her oddly. She turned to Aang quickly. "We have to warn the village!" she exlaimed._

_Aang looked confused. "Huh?" he asked, still clinging to his childish nature after all these years, scratching his head in a funny way._

"_Aang!" she shouted and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look at the air above them. "Look!" she exclaimed in desperation. The young Avatar looked up and his jaw dropped. Without wasting words the two took off for the village, forgetting completely their class. Who was now staring at them in a mixture of confusion and surprise. However the adults immediately started gasping as suddenly from the clouds, who only a water bender could see through, ash started to rain down._

_The two quickly raced across the village and made it to the igloo in the center of the village, which served as their town hall or palace. "Father!" Katara shouted loudly as she ran inside, Aang right behind her._

_Hakoda glanced up from the map of the nations, the small group of elders surrounding the map as well sat next to or across from him also glanced up in confusion. "Katara. I thought you had a..." he was cut off as the girl fiercely pointed at the entrance leading outside. _

"_The Fire Nation is here!" she shouted. Immediately the entire room erupted into action, Hakoda and Bato were racing for the training grounds to gather the men. The other elders were busy heading to different buildings to get the citizens out of the city._

_Aang quickly gave Katara a short kiss goodbye before blasting into the air, what he found was not. Not good. Dozens upon dozens upon dozens, there had to be over a hundred, of ships were sailing at full speed towards the port. Even as the massive navy sailed towards the port close to the village, the air bender could see a large mass of black and gold on the tundra near the city, Fire, er, Inferno Empire tanks and soldiers, clad in their black and gold light armor and their sinister red visors._

_His face dropped as he stood up in the air on a air ball. There was no way. This was even worse then the Northern Siege. They had been enclosed in the city with only one way in. And they had also had elite water benders and trained warriors. For all their might, the South Pole's warriors were just not as good, and he and Katara, besides Paku and a few others, were the only real water benders in the village._

_His horror only rose when there was a flash of light, followed by a fire ball arching off a ship and then slamming into the wall of the city. He quickly dived towards the village as dozens of more fire balls arched towards the city. Just as he slammed into the ground, barely staying conscious enough to water bend. Blasting apart the roofs, floors and walls of the houses and igloos and even the ice on the street itself up into the air and forming a massive wall of water. Once the fire balls had been caught in the wave he weakly manage to blast them back at the fire Nation ships._

_After a few minutes he had regained his energy, maybe throwing himself at the village with a air burst had been a bad idea, he stood up and then blast himself over the wall and landed on it's length._

_He saw a small band of blue spread out on the bank near the city, set up right in front of the port, and a sea of black and gold as the Inferno Empire marched on towards the city, now engaging the Water Tribesmen. Sadly he also saw the Water Tribe's fleet sinking into the water as nearly half a dozen of the massive fire nation ships moved into the dock, their forward spike dropping onto the snow, smashing ice into the air as both Tanks and troops started pouring out from the ships._

_Aang quickly shot down towards the battle and landed near the main line, using his air bending he started blasting more and more of the Fire benders back, but there simply was just to many. Each one he took down was replaced, each one that was knocked down got back up with twice the strength._

_Out of the corner of his eye he saw Katara and Paku attacking the other ships that were firing their trebuchets with waves of water and employing ice bombardments. The young legend smacked a fire bender in the face with his staff and then twirled it to comically knock another to the ground with the twirl._

_He continued helping out were the line was weak, as he twirled, spun, jumped, blasted and all manner of bending and martial arts he knew to just survive and keep the army away._

_Eventually they had retreated into the city and started fighting there and outside the walls as balls of fire started raining down on the city. Blowing houses and igloos apart and turning the tents into flaming infernos from all the burnable material._

_Aang had just finished taking out a tank with Katara with both air and water bending when Sokka had run up. To their shock a column of tanks were moving up from the docks. He and Katara quickly ran down the slope to the docks to engage the tanks halfway, and they made good work of freezing the treads and then tossing them into the ocean, but there was just way to many of the things and with more troops starting to reach the city...._

_Any hope of defending the village was lost when they saw twenty or so tanks approaching from the south, a large smoke stack rising from were the southern village, one of the new ones, had been._

_Aang quickly fell back from the tanks with Katara until they found Hakoda knocking a Inferno soldier to the ground. "We need to evacuate! There's to many!" Aang called, pointing at the tanks moving up from the south._

_Hakoda didn't even seem to hesitate. "Alright, i'll go get Sokka and tell the men! Get you of here!" he yelled before running down towards the battle near the walls of the city._

_Aang and Katara then quickly moved into the city to find it in a panic as everyone tried to get out of the place. Fireballs were raining all over the place and the bodies were scattered all over. Aang quickly pulled out his whistle and blew on it hard, immediately Appa blasted out of a shed of ice that had been made for him and landed near the Avatar. "Hurry!" he yelled to the villagers. All of them were running onto Appa as Aang helped them on._

_He knew in the pit of his soul though that they couldn't save all of them. That there was just to many. As they moved out of the gates, trying to keep Appa out of the line of fire, there was a horrible screech and then lots of yells. Before Aang could react a fire ball slammed into the gates, knocking tons upon tons of ice and snow into the gap between the wall, crushing dozens of people and blocking the rest of the city._

_Aang closed his eyes in pain before jumping onto Appa before yelling, "Yip YIP!" and then the bison took off into the air. He started searching for the water tribesmen, but to his shock and utter horror he didn't see any. There was only gold and black._

_Turning away from the scene he sent Appa in the direction of the Northern village, were the Southern Water Tribe had a evacuation fleet waiting. Katara had already buried her face in his chest as she wept when the fire balls began raining on the village, were there was certainly a few dozen people still trapped in. All the while the Fire Nation troops moved up and around the village._

_It took roughly ten minutes to arrive at the village and from there they landed on a wooden boat that was preparing to leave. The northern village was no better off then the capital, covered in smoking holes and destroyed tents and a few houses. The small fleet of water ships however were already about to set sail, full with the remaining water citizens._

_A man with a white beard and hair with blue eyes walked up to him and bowed. "Avatar Aang, I am Yin the leader of this fleet" he said and offered Aang a hand, they shook. "Where..where is Hakoda?" he asked._

_Aang's face dropped and Katara was in Aang's shoulder again as she cried. "Th-They didn't make it" he said sadly. "But we never saw them fall. So there is hope" he said quietly, the last part more so and to Katara._

_Yin's face fell as he nodded grimly. "Hakoda was a great man....I am sure he may have survived. One can only hope" he said sadly before yelling for the ships to move out._

Aang rolled over in his bed as he processed everything. So far they hadn't found either Hakoda or Sokka. Iroh was still missing and Toph had been rumored to be in a underground resistance near Gaoling. But nothing had gotten better. Aang sighed heavily as he thought about Sokka's possible death and how he was responsible for it.

As the rain continued to pound down on Madam Wu's village The Avatar pulled his love to his chest and slowly fell to sleep with the beat of her heart.

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**man that might be the longest chapter I have EVER written, which is no big feet to some of those great writers out there in fanfiction. Like some of my favorite authors, crystalofellioth and theamatuer. But anyways, its time for me to clear up the mistakes im sure I made somewhere.**

**The first two chapters of the fic were two years before the third chapter. Just so you know. And now to the parts of the fic. The Southern and Northern Water tribes have been enjoying a peace for three years, so im sure they will have made some cool ice gadget or another by then. Most of the food and building styles I took from the Northern Water Tribe, since they are actually the real water benders and the Southern Water Tribe is just a break away faction, and because there the only advanced water city seen so far.**

**As for the council. The way I picture it, each village has it's own chief, and each chief is apart of a council that decided the Southern Water Tribes next move, kinda like how all the world leaders meet at the UN to discuss world affairs. And since the majority of the council agreed to go to war with the Fire Nation with the Earth Kingdom and Northern Water Tribe, they had to go to war.**

**Now the last thing I can think of, is the reason I keep using Fire Nation in the flash backs every so often, even after they changed their name to Inferno Empire. Well the only answer I got is that the world has been calling them Fire Nation for thousands of years, so all of the sudden calling them the Inferno Empire is going to take a bit of getting used to.**

**Well thats all I got, read, REVIEW and live life!**

**C U NEXT TiME! * Theme music plays ***


	5. Chapter 5

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 5: War Reflections_

**Ok well the reviews are still a bit down, but im sure ill get em eventually. That. Or I will be breaking out my trench knife sooner then I thought... hehehe. Anyways thanks for reading this far, this might just pass Shadow's Dawn in second place on most views. But seroiusly. This chapter will be on Iroh, yes _that_ fuddy duddy, and his reflections on both the wars of the past and present. REVIEW OR DIE**

**Warning: I may have messed up some of the facts about Iroh in this fic. If so. eh..**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar, it's characters or products. I do own the plot of this fic, my OC's and this root beer that I am currently chugging while writing this.**

"They are moving the first and second fleets to Chameleon bay, the fifth, sixth and tenth fleets are already there and the third and fourth will be arriving shortly after. In short, seventy percent of the Empire's first naval battle group will be there, if we could destroy the majority of the fleet, then we could win a major blow to the Inferno Empire's efforts in taking over the Northern Water Tribes and their colonies" Yin said as he pointed at the spot of the bay on the medium sized map of the four nations that was laid before the small group.

"Yes, but were will we get the amount of ships to do such a attack? We only have a small number of ships, and the Earth Kingdom had little to no fleets during it's prime in the Great War" another said.

"Tao makes a good point Yin" another figure said, his green robes slightly ripped and dirt speckled, but otherwise in good condition. "However there is another place we can acquire ships" he said and then pointed a finger at a small island near the bay, about fifty miles off the coast. "This was a minor port and repair station for the Fire Nation during the Great War, it most likely has extra ships there for the fleets as well as ships for the defense fleet for the island. If you were to capture enough ships, you could have the fleet back to full strength" he said.

Yin nodded. "You make a good point yourself, General Iroh, but we still would need more ships and man power to strike the Imperial fleet" Yin said carefully, as he looked at the markers showing were the Inferno's Fleets were. The Fire Nation had built close to a thousand ships by the end of the Great war, and after Zuko had conquered the Earth Kingdom, they had at their disposal even more natural resources, and now the Naval force of the Inferno Empire was close to ten thousand ships, ranging from the coastal and port jet skies to the massive Empire class war ships.

Iroh nodded and then pointed at the north eastern portion of the map, were water symbol markers stood all over water routes, land masses and islands. "Yes that is true" he said. "But" he pointed at the small naval markers for the Northern Water Tribe. "You Forget your sister tribe. They have a significant fleet, and as for man power...the Earth Resistance is sure to have enough able body men to lead such a strike" Iroh said. As the others nodded in agreement, though a bit wary of trying to hunt down the infamous resistance that some even said was just a myth, Iroh could not help but remember a time when he had been the star general for the Fire Nation, heir to the throne and a powerful legacy secured in Lu Ten.

However all of that changed when his son died on the front during his infamous campaign, the Seige of Ba Sing Se. He still remembered the day they had told him, the day everything had gone so very very wrong. And yet. So very very right.

_Iroh laughed heartily as he drank a cup of Jasmine tea, he and two of his under generals were standing on a ruined part of Ba Sing Se's outer wall, calmly having a cup of warm tea in the cold night air as the mass of red Fire Nation Soldiers marched on, their red ranks never bending or breaking as they advanced on the retreating Earth Kingdom troops. As he watched his armies sweep victoriously across the plains between the Outer Wall and the Inner Wall a young captain came to him and saluted. "Sir we have them routing towards the inner wall. What are your orders?" he asked politely with a bow._

_Iroh breathed deeply and thought on the situation. They had the advantage, the adrenaline for another attack. But he decided, something he would later regret, to let the men rest before they conquered the capital the next day. "order the men to hold on the high ground, make camp. We strike at first dawn tomorrow. Tell them tomorrow the war ends, tomorrow the capital shall fall and tomorrow we shall return to the capital as heros!" he said patriotically as he stared at the rising fires from the fields and plains before him._

_The captain saluted and then ran off to send off his orders, he would forever regret those orders, for it had cost him dearly._

_Less then a week or two later, the same very captain walked into his tent as he was looking over a map of the massive city, with markers showing their own and enemy positions. "G-General...i have news of Captain Lu Ten's regiment" he said slowly as the general looked up, a gleam in his eyes._

"_Yes Captain" he said. It had been a massive blow to moral when the Earth Kingdom had pushed them back with a fury that had defied the history of warfare, for two, maybe three, bloody weeks they had painted the Inner Wall of Ba Sing Se in red as they stormed the walls. The casualties of the attacks on the Inner Wall itself were so high that he was beginning to think the campaign was hopeless. But then his son had reported that his men had succeeded in climbing the wall and were close to capturing a portion of the wall._

"_L-Lu T-Ten's...Regiment was...was destroyed General....there were. No survivors" he said sadly, his eyes gleaming softly as he thought of the noble and well liked Captain and his men now laying dead on the top of the Inner Wall._

_General Iroh, heir to the throne, the top General and Fire Bender of his generation, save Ozai, who was more or less equal with him, stayed frozen for ten seconds. Everything around him seemed to freeze, he didn't care to notice tears pouring from his eyes, his fists clenched. He then suddenly let loose a horrible howl of utter pain, anguish and rage as both his hands and mouth let out a stream of fire, the tent quickly caught and the captain was throne a clear twenty feet away from the tent, pitched on a hill overlooking the Outer Wall's ruins, down the side of the hill and into some bushes as the grand General let loose his wail of utter, complete pain._

_He turned to a terrified under General that was just coming out of his own tent, just in time to see the head general's tent explode. Each word that came from his mouth was laced with fire as smoke rose from his cloths. "ORDER ALL FORCES FORWARD! DO NOT STOP UNTIL YOU DIE OR THE CAPITAL IS OURS!" he burst hatefully before marching on towards the front, intending to take the nearest regiment to the spot were Lu Ten was, had been, and find out for sure his son was truly dead._

Now with a clear head Iroh truly saw that he had made a grave error that day. His men had believed themselves to be invincible, unable to lose with their great general leading them, to think any order he gave was destined to fail would be, still was, and always would be, until the days after the siege, laughed at. However this order proved to be wrong, terribly wrong. They suffered horrible casualties, supplies were lost or captured. Equipment was left behind in the fast haste the shattered Fire Nation Army retreated after the mourning General Iroh had seen his failure and decided to cut his losses.

_The snow, the ever falling snow, fell upon the shattered, weakened army. The red armor of the Fire Nation was not just red because of the paint. No, these men had very nearly been bathing in blood as they both fought for their lives, and fought for their country as they stormed the Inner Wall. Now. Now they were marching away from the Outer Wall, less then a seventh of their original number still marched on. And still the cold cause one or two Fire Benders to fall to the frozen ground, never to move or rise again._

_The bodies were simply left to freeze in the snow as the small scattered line marched onwards, heading for the nearest military base, city or encampment. The very fire they had used to slaughter the Earth Kingdom for the past 600 days as well as keep them warm in this blizzard was now gone, extinguished and frozen over. They were tired, they were sore and they were half starved, many still sported untreated wounds._

_At the head of the line was Iroh himself. Looking more saddened and defeated then anyone had ever known. The twin blows of the failure of Ba Sing Se, along with his son's death, had brought him to his knees. Later when he learned of his brother taking the throne and his father's death, Iroh had been reduced to nothing more then a lost soul, having lost his interest in life in general._

It was there, Iroh reflected, that he had been at the darkest part of his own 'tunnel'. However, just like he had told Aang, if you just kept moving down the dark tunnel...you would find...light. And so he had, when he had accidentally fallen into the spirit world, it had all started in a town called....

"General Iroh?" a voice said slowly, a hint of worry in it, drawing him out of his reverie. Iroh looked up to see that the entire Water Bender council, if you could call it that, was staring at him in a mixture of confusion, worry and wonder.

Shaking his head in a apologetic way. "im sorry my friends, my old mind wanders more then it did before, please continue" he said.

Yin stared at the aged man in a bit of worry for a minute, the man had saved all of their lives after all, before clearing his throat. "No harm has been done General Iroh. We have decided to go with our plan, Tao will take five ships to the northern Water Tribe to see if they will lend aid, I will take the rest of the fleet to bogdon bay, right here. Below the mainland of the south pole" Yin said as he pointed at a small, very small, island that was most likely smaller then most cities in the Earth, er, New Fire Nation.

The aged Admiral, though still young in comparison to Iroh, turned to the General again. "we were hoping that you could hunt down the Earth resistance and secure a link between our naval resistance and there own. If you agree, we will give you a scroll before you leave, in a few days" Yin said.

Iroh nodded. "Of course. These old bones won't do much good on a ship anyways, better for me to be of some use as a negotiator, as all old people seem to end up being" he said, chuckling good naturally.

The Admiral allowed a small chuckle himself. "I think those crewman resting in the melted remains of their ships could beg to differ with you on the 'old bones' comment. But we have little time" he said and then stood up from the low table. "this meeting is over. Tao, take what fast ships you can and make all haste towards the north. Tell them they have a month to decide. We will leave the island after a month and one week" he said before embracing his fellow tribesman in a warriors parting, then turned to Iroh as the man left. "You should get your rest General, we have work to do tomorrow" he said.

Iroh nodded. "yes. Yes we do" he then bowed low before leaving the tent and heading across the shore towards his own tent, set near the woods. As he slowly removed his outer robe and shoes he again wondered about his nephew. He had long since hunted his nephew, but had never found him. He had grown sadder after the boy, who was more of a son to him, had fallen to darkness, slaughtering so many and being far too cruel. When the Inferno Empire had arisen he had lost nearly all hope. He was now sure that Zuko was dead, after a short talk with Mai who was heading north west from the capital, that the man he had come to see as his second son was no longer alive. That after his country was overrun just over five years ago he had died and was replaced by a dark, evil version of himself.

Iroh sighed in frustration, as this was never supposed to happen and all of this should have just been a bad dream. But he knew that this was no dream. As the aged Dragon of the West lay on his bed, preparing for sleep, he could not help but wonder if the Avatar could stop the war that was nearly about to explode across the globe.

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**Well this is actually a really short chapter. Im kinda sad about that. Anyways this is the last of the back stories for a while. The next one will focus more on Sokka and his group, I will put some danger and action in it and you might just get to see Zuko and Azula again! Also, did you notice anything that seemed familiar, I put a few shout outs in there that just kinda happened, but are there none the less. Let me know if you see any of them.**

**All I really have left to say is that if any of you liked Dark Order, then you only have a few weeks left to wait, I personally am very pressed with time now, since I will have to finish this before May 1. have a happy spring break!**

**REVIEW OR BE SKINNED ALIVE WITH A PATATO PEELER!**

**C U NEXT TiME! * Theme Music Plays ***


	6. Chapter 6

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 6: Deadly Intelligence_

**Wow, already at six chapters. This thing is gong along well. Anyways, I hope you have been enjoying the story so far, things are going to heat up a bit in a, well, a bit. Thanks to all that reviewed. To those that haven't, then DO!**

**WARNING: Gory scenes at the end of this chapter, and Character Death, OC ones though!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender, it's characters or buy products. I do own the plot line of this fic and my OC's.**

Sokka, Weng, Fo and Chu were looking over a map that was draped across the table in the center of the living room of their luxuries safe house while Lo, Ming and Jeng were out on a reconnaissance mission and a few of the other members of his outpost were just out in the city to gather a late dinner, poke their ears out, or were somewhere else in the house. Just a few hours ago he had gotten word from General Quin that the Inferno Empire was sending naval orders from a messenger hawk outpost on the far edge of Ba Sing Se, built on the damaged and cracked Outer Wall.

They had spent the last few hours looking over both maps of the city, the plains past the Inner Wall, the building itself and the surrounding area. This was going to be a big operation for them, they needed at least half a dozen back up plans, regrouping points and pull out points, code words and dozens of other things planned ahead to make sure the building's infiltration went smoothly.

The objective that the resistance had left them with was that they were to obtain what scrolls of information that could be found inside the fortress and bring it to a pick up point. If the resistance could learn about the troop and ship movements of the Inferno Empire, then they could make a few good blows against the Imperial Order.

As the aged water tribesmen stroked his beard for a few minutes he glanced at the blueprints that the resistance spies had managed to obtain for them. "This won't be easy Fo" he said sadly. "I fear we will lose a few men during this one" he finished.

Fo nodded. The building was going to be hard to get at. Perched on the Outer Wall, where a old guardhouse had once stood, the building rose seven stories high and was heavily guarded. Watchers and Royal Guardsmen made up the basic defense force, there were rumors that Overlord Zuko even made trips to the base to see that his orders were carried out perfectly. The mere idea of them running into the fire bender was enough to make Fo's gut clench. The man was insane, powerful and ruthless, along with the fact that he would make you pay in the worst possible way imaginable.

Back to the matter at hand, they still had to somehow climb the wall, break into the building via the only entrance, a large double metal door, and then ascend seven stories to the top of the building and hunt down what movement and supply orders they could find, then get the heck out of there before a entire battalion of watchers moved in on them.

And it only would get better from there. They would then have to find a way back _down_. Then they would have to fight past the army of troops that would definitively be sent to respond to the threat, then they would have to scale down the walls, move across the miles upon miles of plain land, with Imperial air ships, tanks and troops hunting them. Then they would have to find a way into the city itself, get past the Inner Wall, the checkpoints and patrols of guards and then get to the pick up point, without both A, getting caught, B, being followed and C, being killed or captured.

Sokka knew the risks and the gains, but the real reason he wanted to do this was for any information on the whereabouts of his Sister and Aang. If there was any chance of finding them, then it was in that building.

As the four men continued to discus the plans for the mission, the door swung open and in walked Lo, Jeng and Ming. The three kids, though the latter two of the group were nearly young adults, looked dirty and tired, but none the less smiling slightly. Jeng walked up and placed a scroll on the table with a bit of pride and arrogance in his eyes.

Reminding himself to talk to Jeng about the arrogance, Sokka opened the scroll and read it's contents. The patrol numbers, routes and armaments, along with the gate's defensive strength, the dozen or so entry gates into the city of Ba Sing Se had been recently built over the past few years, each holding about thirty or forty men, a mix of fire benders and non benders along with a few Watchers each. They were the only way out of the city without the power of air, which was sadly lost since the avatar had disappeared. Much to Sokka's sadness, many people openly spat at Aang's name, believing he was hiding from the Imperialist Fire Nation.

Many had believed he would return and save the day again, but as the years past and the days wore on, many just accepted the Fire Nation rule, it was hopeless to fight in their eyes. On their side they had a few ships and a weak, sick and hungry rebel army and navy, winning what victories they could, when they could. And on the Inferno Empire's side, there was thousands of ships, hundreds of thousands of soldiers that were fit, rested and elite.

They simply lost hope, Aang had never shown up, the new Empire took up residence and then life went on. Nothing really changed much, minus the natural destruction caused by the Imperial factories and arms build up. Oh and the cruel occupations and constant checkpoints and inspections. Many a rumor or story had reached his ears of the Imperial troops having raided homes and farms, taking the men either into service or the gallows. The children were often brought to the factories and the women were...the mere descriptions of what they had done still left many in pure white anger.

Sokka sighed. "I think im gonna retire for the night Fo, keep an eye on them" he said pointing at Jeng and Ming, both were looking at him innocently. He shook his head before walking towards his room, his shoulders bunched and his head hanging down as if a great weight was on his shoulders.

He walked down the hall in silence before reaching his door, slowly he opened the wooden door and walked in, removing his shoes before he fell forward onto his bed, beyond tired, the water tribesmen fell to sleep in a instant, practically before he hit the covers.

* * *

The golden red flames burned brightly in the grand war room. As the black and gold tapestries bearing the Empire's crest hung from the roof from above, the long table with the map of the world carved into it's marble surface. Black marble walls were lined with golden text of ancient conquerors and warlords. Golden pillars rose from the ground to the roof, were a decorative dragon of solid gold was secured right into the roof, its mouth and nostrils shooting out fire. The floor of the chamber was also black marble, golden cushions were set on the floor, next to the table of marble, so that the group of Admirals, Generals and other major members of the Empire could sit comfortably as they discussed the Empire's future. At the very end of the table was a short flight of stairs that led up to a wall of golden flame, burning brightly before the face of Overlord Zuko, dressed in a black and golden set of robes. Next to him sat Azula, wearing a black and blue set of armor similar to her Fire Nation set, but stronger, lighter and more bendable, allowing for more maneuverability. On the other side of the Overlord sat a empty cushion, normally reserved for Jai Hyro, the Grand General of the Empire.

Zuko stared at his subjects, who were at the moment bickering about when they should invade the Northern Water Tribe. The last free nation of the Empire. The last _real_ obstacle. Sighing he allowed the flames surrounding him to rise higher, burn brighter. Thus the group of the Imperial Elite quieted down at the warning sign. "War Minister" he said gesturing towards the man wearing a fancy set of robes indicating he was the mentioned leader. "When will the first Invasion force be ready" he demanded. His harsh voice ringing out threateningly.

The man cowered at the tone and fumbled for a reply. "T-The f-f-f-fleet wi-ill be r-" he was cut off by his sister's distinct voice.

"The Navy should be ready in about a month Zu Zu" she said coolly as she eyed the minister. "That is if the buffoon here doesn't mess up again" she muttered to him and him alone. Zuko kept his normal face, of deep anger or cold contempt, but the princess of fire could see in her brother's eyes that he found amusement in her words, though only from knowing him so long could she see it.

Zuko nodded as he glared at the minister. "Good. War Minister Quing, if you wish to keep your job _and_ your life then I suggest the fleet is ready by then, I expect you have already prepared the troops for the invasion" he said just as coldly.

The minister managed to nod while he feared for his life. He might be a powerful bender, but he was no where near the strength Zuko had shown when it came to single combatant dueling. "Y-Yes Overlord" he managed to choke out.

Zuko nodded and then closed his eyes. "Leave" he ordered. The small council was only to happy to agree, quickly leaving the room in a calm, yet still a bit to fast, exit. Once they were alone he turned to his sister, who was playing with a bit of blue flame in her palm. "Go to the messenger tower on the Outer Wall, I do not want anyone aware of the date for the invasion, as im sure the resistance is going to make a move there, my spies assure me of it" he said, his tone dropping at the word Resistance. Few even realized there was a fully working and powerful resistance out there, as Zuko had gone to great lengths to make the idea of a resistance foolish with parades of glory, thousands of men marching through even the smallest of towns to show the might of the Inferno Empire, as well as making the stories and rumors of a earth resistance nothing but that. Stories and rumors, the supposedly great resistance was made out to be nothing but a folklore.

Sighing he rubbed his eyes. "This is becoming more of a trouble each day. Why. Why won't they just accept the new order, it's so much better then the old ones. If they would _just stop fighting_ then there would be no war, everyone would be united under one banner and no one would have to die or be taken away from their families..." he said quietly, his face showing naked emotion, anger, frustration and confusion.

Azula's face changed to the rarity of concern and understanding, she knew well that dealing with a entire world order taxed her brother. And while contrary to popular belief, she did not hate her brother. She had merely hated his weaker self. She had been cold and cruel to him to, in her own way, make him stronger and more prepared for the world, she had thought that if he was beaten down enough, then he would rise up and be a true fire bender. One who was not afraid to do what was right, one who could take the life of a innocent turtle duck if he was hungry, just as he would have to be ready to send men to their deaths if it meant victory.

Now that her brother had become just that, she need not try and be cruel to him, for both siblings still had a genuine care for the other, if only so small. Nodding the raven haired beauty stood up and put a hand on her brothers shoulder. "only a bit longer Zu Zu" she said comfortingly, her nickname for him holding a tender and caring tone to it, instead of her normal teasing or mocking tone. She then left him to his self and exited the chamber.

* * *

Sokka awoke the next day feeling ready for the coming mission. He quietly stood up from his bed and began to put on his light weight armor from the southern water tribe and then put on his black and gold robes of a Imperial Elite to cover it up. He then began with placing his knives, daggers and other weapons into hidden pockets before he opened his door and walked down the hall, there was no light shining outside, as it was very early in the morning, barely past midnight.

Soon he was in the living room and found most of the outpost preparing for battle. Dressed all in black, sharpening their knives, meditating or just sitting around, the group consisted of all of the earth benders and veteran soldiers in his group, Ming, Jeng and Lo would be holding down the fort. Sighing he nodded to Fo, who was inspecting his twin Dao blades. "Alright" he said, his voice thick with authority and confidence. "Me, Fo and Chu will be making the infiltration, I want Di, Loa and Kai here, here and here. You three will be part of the back up team..." Sokka said and pointed to locations on the map. He then gave the others their orders before the group started leaving the house, through different doors and passages of course, so not to alert the Inferno Watchers that were on the prowl this late at night.

As he exited the house he saw Ming looking worried, Jeng holding her and Lo looking just as scared as he sat on a stool looking at them as the warriors left for battle. Now Sokka knew how his father must have felt, to leave his family at home while he marched of to war. Now he knew, and he was determined to make it back more then ever.

* * *

Azula sat in a comfortable chair in her quarters at the hawk tower, set on the sixth floor in a corner room, it had a desk, bed and dresser along with a few other basic things. Like a room for a bath and a mirror in the corner, but otherwise it was mostly empty. It was to be expected since she did not live here, she was only observing the orders being sent out, since Zu Zu's spies had said a attack was coming, and thought she hated to admit it, his spy network was much better then her's had ever been.

Sighing she put down the book she had been reading and walked out onto the balcony. Outside was a breathtaking view of the plain lands. She could see in the distance the torch lit city of Ba Sing Se, she had never cared to call it New Ozai.

After a minute of admiring the view she quickly dropped to the ground in a lotus position and started meditating, the candles set in her room and on the balcony growing brighter and duller with her breathing as she meditated.

* * *

He could see it now. After only a few hours of evading patrols and sneaking out of the city the small band of rebels had finally made it to the plains. After another few hours of careful marching they had managed to sneak up to the tower, which was towering above them, no pun intended.

Now that he saw the giant metal structure, with a gold pagoda roof with hundreds of small windows on the seventh floor, obviously for the messenger hawks. He felt a distinct bit of loss for his missing hawk when he saw the building. But not only that, there were guards wearing the black and gold of the Elite Royal Guards and then every now and again with a careful eye he could see the deep blue and silver robes of a Watcher.

The Watcher, Sokka mused, where probably the most scary thing he had ever seen. Zuko had put them into practice after some General or Admiral had nearly killed him with a knife. They wore neck to ankle length deep blue cloaks with silver lining and a silver Inferno Empire crest on the shoulders and chest. They carried dozens of throwing knives, binders like the ones the Di Lee had used and a long sword. They also were master fire benders and rumor had it they also knew earth bending. They had the highest clearance in the Empire and did Zuko's orders without question or fault, another hint that Zuko had found Long Fang's notes and scrolls. Effectively making them a deadlier version of the Di Lee. Some said they were brain washed too.

Sokka shook his head, this was not the time to think deeply. He drew his black blade and then motioned to Fo and Chu. The two then pulled out a small wodden barrel looking cylinder. While Fo held the device in his arms, Sokka and Chu started digging a hole in the ground. That done Sokka moved over to the wooden device, now face upwards. He then yanked on a small string on the side, causing a small pop. Immediately the led flew off and a coil of rope, with a hook at the end, painted black for stealth. The rope shot up the length of the wall and then connected with it's battlements. There was a silent thud as it connected, the rubbery seal skin on the metal fangs of the hook had kept any noise from sounding.

Without waiting for the guards to notice the rope the three agents moved quickly up the long cord, hoping no one saw the hook digging into the battlement, or what was left of it. Luckily for them it was hooked inside the ruins of another guard house, safe from the prying eyes of the Watchers. For now.

Fo got to the top first, climbing over the ruined battlements and landing softly on the floor of the old guardhouse, looking for any sign of the enemy. Luckily the guards were nowhere to be seen just yet, a minor victory. He then made the 'all clear' sign to Sokka and waited for the Chu and the tribal prince to get onto the floor of the guard house.

Once the three of them had taken a breather and made sure the rope was pulled up and stashed away, they started moving towards the hole in the wall were the remains of a broken door stood, burnt and shattered across the floor. The three then peered out of the door, the faintest ray of moon light fell across the top of the wall, the once smooth stone was now broken and cracked, the great piles of rocks for the defenses were now gone or reduced to charred and broken pieces.

As they took in every detail there was a shrill shriek and they looked up, seeing a messenger hawk fly through the air and land inside one of the windows. Only now did they see the true challenge before them. The building was made of impenetrable steel and seemed to have only one entrance, the door they had been told of, which was guarded with two royal guards, holding golden spears up at attention as they eyed the darkness, barely missing the three resistance members.

Of course there was also the windows, but theses were covered in the light of the torches that covered the spiked looking tower, with it's pagoda roofs on each level, extending from the top of each story of the building.

Sokka then noticed the guards moving around inside, from the windows that could be seen there seemed to be at least one of the elite guards moving across the halls every minute, maybe less. Then there were the door guards and the guards patrolling the wall's length to deal with as well, and all of this had to be done without anyone alerting the Inferno Empire that they were here.

Sighing Sokka glanced at his two friends. "Any ideas?" he asked grimly. Fo looked just as grim, but a plan seemed to be working in his eyes as Chu shook his head in frustration.

At last Fo snapped his fingers, almost too loud. "Sink and Stink" he said with a grin, his eyes filled with a child like mischief. Sokka then returned it with his own rare grin.

Chu, who also knew Sokka and his past well, grinned. "Ok, lets do this" he muttered and Sokka nodded, retreating into his sad and lonely self. The three of them then rummaged through their sacks for Hakoda's famous 'stink and sink, now mini sized' stink bombs. One of the first things Hakoda and Sokka had done together after the war was mess with inventions, one of the products that came out of it that ended up making the father and son famous was the miniature stink bombs, down sized from the anti ship mines that Hakoda had employed into his defense of the now over run chameleon bay. The small devices looked just like their larger counterparts, but they were much smaller and released a smaller cloud of gas.

Once they had positioned themselves accordingly they tossed the balls, which exploded all over the top of the wall, making the guards drop to the ground as they coughed horribly. Before anyone else could react they ran out and tossed more of the explosives, which hit inside and outside of the building before them.

Once they moved through the hazy gas, wearing masks made by Sokka to keep the gas out, they reached the metal door and pulled out a white looking paste which was applied to the door, the blasting jelly, stolen from the Fire Nation during the war, detonated a few seconds later after Sokka tossed a lit piece of paper onto it.

The explosion was massive and nearly knocked the three agents off the wall, the doors themselves were too thick to be destroyed, however their once smooth metal surface was now dented as the hinges broke and the doors fell inward. The three resistance members then entered the structure, ready for the danger that was sure to come.

* * *

Azula had just taken off her armor and was about to remove her tunic and pants for her night robe when there was a clamor of noise heard from outside. Then there was a loud boom that shook the small structure of the tower and Azula ran out to her balcony. She found that there was smoke and a odd gas rising from the entrance, cursing herself for growing lax in the security the fire princess ran back into her room and blew the door open with a fire blast. She then headed down the hall as fast as she could to stop the intruders, leaving her armor on the floor of her room.

* * *

they moved in sync and as stealthily as they could, though Sokka now regretted the blasting jelly, despite it being the only way they had in, it had pretty much blown their cover. Their only hope now was to try and get the information and escape before something bad happened.

Almost immediately after he said this a group of guards turned the corner and came face to face with the three agents. _Speaking of something bad happening_, Sokka thought as the three of them hit the floor, just as a wave of fire flew over them. Fo threw four throwing knives at their attackers before Sokka had even had time to react, and it seemed the guards didn't have the time either, judging by the fact that they were laying on the ground clutching at the gleaming blades lodged into their throats, blood pouring out of the soft flesh of the larynx as the last few breaths they had on this bloody earth was strained to the maximum.

Not even pausing to register their passing the three resistance members moved around the corner and then up the stairway at the end of the passage. This repeated for two levels, they went round and round the building, sometimes encountering groups of guards before they reached the stairs and repeated this up until they arrived at the fourth floor.

Everything was going fine as they crested the fourth floors staircase and started running as fast as they could down the hallway, another group of guards rounded the corner and charged at them with their spears, catching them off guard by the maneuver, since the guards normally used fire balls. However the three comrades managed to dodge the dangerous weapons and kill a few of them before they started fighting close quarters.

The entire time Sokka was thinking rapidly, this wasn't right. The guards should be trying to fry them or something, not fight with their weapons. It was almost like they were trying to avoid fatal wounds...wait. They were trying to capture them! Of course! Sokka then did a risky move and charged right at them, Fo and Chu both yelling at him, but like he had predicted, the guards didn't openly attack him, and tried to grab him. Sokka took the time offered and slashed at the guards, killing one and cutting another's eyes out. The third guard snarled and readied a fire ball but before Sokka could dodge or the fire bender finish the move a dagger flew over Sokka's shoulder and impaled the guard in the nose, all the way to the hilt, it sank into the man's face. The guards eyes rolled into the back of his face and then the man fell to the ground in a heap. Sokka turned to face the last guard but found Chu had already plunged his longsword into his chest.

The three men then left the Inferno Imperial Guards laying on the floor as they continued down the hall. After a few more minutes of moving down the halls quickly they came to the hall that the stair case was in. And that was not all It held.

Sokka felt his mouth drop and his stomach clench in fear as he and his two comrades all gasped at the same time. For there before them stood the Princess of fire, Sister to the Overlord and one of the most powerful benders and deadlist interogaters in the world. Azula.

Dressed in a rather alluring red tunic and pants she had part of her hair falling in one eye as she stood before the stair case, her eyes fixed on the rebels as she held her head high. However that was not the end of his worries. There were two blue and silver Watchers on either side of her, their long swords already raised and ready.

"well well well" Azula said, her silky voice mixed with pity and contempt. "Looks like Zu Zu was right...there _would_ have been a theft. But once again you pitiful Earth Kingdom fools have underestimated Fire. You played with it and got burned. Now you go and play with it again...one would think that you foolish peasants would give up" she said with her usual mockery and taunting.

Sokka felt his eyes widen at this. Not just the fact that she was here, but the fact that Zuko had _known_ this was going to happen. That he had information of this level wasn't good. It meant someone was feeding the Overlord of the Empire information. It meant they had a rat...

Sokka was knocked out of his daze by Azula herself when she shouted, "Take them!". Then everything made sense. She was trying to capture them, that was why the guards hadn't tried to kill them when they had the chance. However he had no more time to think on this as both his friends snapped out of their own daze the two Watchers shot forward at a lightning quick pace, practically gliding across the floor, as if they could defy gravity at will, and in seconds had engaged Fo and Chu in combat.

Before Sokka could react Azula herself had blasted across the hall with her signature blue flame, landing within a breath of his own body and sending a spinning kick at him, nearly breaking his jaw as he flew into the wall behind him. Sokka was still trying to get the stars out of his eyes when a booted heel slammed into his chest, and he felt something start to break. Suddenly he remembered the meteor blade in his hand and he swung upwards in a arc.

Now if the Princess had been wearing her armor, then he would be dead. But the gods, or Yue, had shown him grace once again and Azula had next to nothing to defend her body from the powerful blade's attack. The black weapon dug deep into her side, sinking deeply into her body. He felt it actually hit a bone, or two.

The result mattered more to him then what had caused it though. As Azula let out a pained cry and moved away from his blade, which caused her to scream more as it pull out, now coated in a thick dark red liquid. Sokka took advantage of his breath space and jumped up, rather clumsily due to the wind being knocked out of him twice in less then ten seconds, and sucker punched the princess with his other hand, making her spin around fully before she met with his booted heel. The gut squeezing kick that was delivered to her gut made her smash into the wall as Sokka's multiple attacks left her dazed and out of mind.

But unfortunately for Sokka, he had pushed himself to far and he crashed into the princess. There heads smacking together and the two forms landed in a heap on the floor, the princess barely conscious as Sokka saw more stars.

"Get...him" the raven haired beauty growled loudly as she felt the peasant move. In seconds the form was running down the halls towards the stairs. He was headed for the scroll room! Managing to stand up she was surprised to find her two Watchers moving to help her stand. "NO YOU FOOLS! AFTER THEM!" she screeched as the three resistance members ran up the stairs.

Both of her servants bowed and then shot after the Earth Rebels with their remarkable speed. The princess herself was leaning against the wall, nursing her head. That rebel might not be a bender, or even powerful enough to defeat her on normal grounds....but wow did he pack a punch, and kick...

Azula looked down at her side and cursed softly. It was bleeding heavily and she swore there was a hint of white, maybe he had dug into a bone. Cursing herself for being so careless the raven haired fire bender then ran after her prey, promising herself they wouldn't get away.

* * *

Sokka, Chu and Fo were running as fast as they could down the hall, hoping against all hope that they would make it to the seventh floor without dieing, but now they had the mother of all problems to deal with.

Fo suddenly stopped and Sokka turned to face his friend. "Sokka" he said, out of breath. "go on ahead, me and Chu will hold them off as long as we can...we _need_ that intelligence and there's no way we'll make it there in time running from them. We'll keep em away....you just make sure that scroll gets to Quin" he said and then drew both of his blades and faced down the hallway, Chu doing the same with his long sword. Both men nodded to him in assurance.

Sokka wanted to argue, wanted to say that they were all getting out of here alive. But he knew the second they were told to do this thing, that they wouldn't all be coming back in time. He swallowed and then nodded back before running off down the hall, hoping his resolve didn't fail and he ended up running back to die with them.

* * *

Sokka grunted and then pushed the heavy trap door open and found himself on the top floor, the scroll room. The entire upper half of walls were covered in square roosts for the hawks. The lower half had lines of wooden book cases that held hundreds of scrolls. There was a desk at one part of the wall that had a map on it and some markers placed on different spots. Luckily it seemed no one was home.

Wasting no time Sokka climbed off the ladder and entered the scroll room, moving quickly he started searching the room randomly, food movements, civilian executions and parades. Nothing close to what he had come to find. Sokka continued to search, a fear that the enemy was right behind him, breathing down his neck, just waiting for the chance to kill him. This only made him move faster as he knew that Azula was right behind him, ready to end the little raid he had caused.

After another ten minutes, it might have been two minutes or a week for all he knew, but eventually he found it. There, resting on the desk was a black scroll hidden under a pile of scrolls. Sokka had found it when he threw a scroll randomly in frustration. The scroll had slammed into the pile and knocked them to the ground, and there it had rested, now uncovered to the prince as it rolled back and forth on the desk.

Sokka flew to the desk and opened the scroll, checking it. All the fleets reports and positions as well as all generals reporting their position. Zuko really was preparing for the invasion...he really was going to invade the North. Snapping out of his reverie he found the date. Only a month from now. Sokka quickly put the scroll inside a fire proof case and then slid it into his pack.

He then headed for the trap door and to his dismay he heard the staccato sound of boots slamming on the metal deck below him, the sound of voices and the light of a torches. He slammed the trap door shut and then moved the desk on top of it. Thinking quickly Sokka looked around and found he was utterly trapped. There was no other way out, but down. Suddenly the trap door made a creak. They were trying to get in. then the door started shuddering as the guards beat at it, trying to open the entrance.

The brown haired prince then moved over to one of the windows that wasn't used as a roosting spot for the sleeping messenger hawks. He glanced out it and gulped. The building may have been seven stories but the wall was easily twenty, maybe thirty. Gulping he glanced back at the trap door on the floor of the room, which was breaking, almost ready to break open, despite the desk that lay on it. He took a breath and sent a quick prayer to the gods before kicking the window. It cracked. He kicked again and again. The window must have been reinforced, as it still held, though it was close to shattering, when the trap door broke open and the desk fell over onto it's side. Half a dozen royal guards started climbing into the room, however Sokka ran forward and kicked on in the head, causing him to fall into his comrades, forcing them all to crash into the floor in a heap.

However before he could whoop in joy his worst nightmare appeared. Azula suddenly flew into his vision and onto the latter and scowled at him, a blood thirsty scowl. "Not this time peasant!" she shouted at the earth rebel and shot a burst of blue fire up at him, which he easily jumped away from. However this allowed the fire princess to shoot up into the room and land near the trap door, her hands smoking as her nostrils flared out blew fire, her face determined. "Your mine now" she taunted and moved in for the kill, only for a boulder to smash through a window and slam into her.

Azula's shocked face must have been the exact copy of his own as she was blasted into the wall, denting it heavily as it strained to nearly the point of breaking. The princess fell to the ground, her body limp as the boulder fell to the floor, denting it as well. As Sokka's mouth tried to form words Weng appeared, looking rather pleased with himself. "Sir!" he said in greeting and helped his battered commander up. He then noticed the absence of both Chu and Fo. "where..." he started but stopped when Sokka shook his head.

"They didn't make it" he muttered. Then he glanced at the man. "How in the bloody name of the gods did you get up here?" he asked. Weng was going to reply but the sound of voices and clinking armor made him change his mind. He gestured towards the window and then jumped out of it. Sokka felt his eyes bulge and his mouth drop. "Weng!" he shouted and ran to the window, only to find to his great shock that there was another boulder, larger then the last one, floating hundreds of feet above the ground. On said boulder was a few earth benders that seemed to be sweating in concentration. There were two more that were using earth bending to toss rocks down at the outpost, causing damage or just confusing the enemy as more the 'Stink and Sink' bombs fell onto the base.

"Hurry Sokka!" Weng shouted as he shot a bow that had been tied to his back, impaling a guard in the chest as he coughed heavily. Sokka nodded and backed up to the far wall of the room before running and jumping out the window, landing right on the boulder as Weng crouched down to grab a hold of him. Sokka then managed to scramble up onto the rock and turned to face one of the earth benders holding the rock up in the air.

"Bring us down!" he shouted as a fire ball shot over his head. "we need to get down!" he said again before pulling out his old boomerang and tossed it at a guard. The weapon shot off the guard's head and spun right back into his hand, where he then proceeded to place it in it's holster.

Meanwhile the earth benders were using all their strength to bring the massive boulder down, without it full out free falling. However Sokka noticed something that made his gut clench, Azula was moving. Slowly, ever so slowly, the princess seemed to stir and then groan before starting to make the effort of getting up. "Hurry!" he shouted as Azula got to her knees and then managed to get to her feet slowly. They were getting lower, lower, lower....almost there...

Then Azula saw them escaping and made a sound that sounded like a growl and scream mixed together. Immediately she ignored her injuries and started running at them, right towards the ruined window. "HURRY!" Sokka shouted, but it was too late. Azula jumped into the air and with a mighty 'Yaa!' sent a massive blue ball of fire from her feet. The fire ball slammed into their boulder and Sokka was forced to look away as one of the earth benders caught fire from the closeness of the impact. The rock then cracked and shook before finally breaking apart.

Sokka felt the air whip at him as some of the resistance members screamed. The wind was howling in his face as they fell, down, down, down they went...falling farther and farther towards the ground. Sokka closed his eyes as they got closer and unconsciously locked up his body as he tensed for the impact, if he would even feel it. Then, he hit the ground....and broke through it. He felt like he had slid into pudding as something broke and something else snapped before he realized he was _underwater_. His eyes snapped open and he found he was miraculously floating underwater in a deep pool or lake near the wall. He felt the need for air and realized he was too far under to reach the surface in time, but what he did notice was that there was a hole in the wall of the rock near him, and for some reason he swam for it, despite the massive pain in his shoulder.

In seconds he reached the hole and pushed inside, working on instinct now. Suddenly he felt his body lift before he shot up and broke through the water and with a animal instinct he grabbed at the closest thing to hold him above the water, which in this case was a edge in the jagged rockwall, air rushed into his lungs and he took it in greedily as he breathed in and out heavily. He glanced around after a few minutes, or was it hours? And found that he was in a small air bubble. It was barely big enough to hold his upper torso.

Sighing he closed his eyes as the horror hit him. Chu and Fo were most likely dead, and Weng and the others were definitively dead, unless the gods graced them with the same luck he seemed to keep having over the past few years.

Growling he slammed a weak fist into the wet wall. He should have died too. His men were mostly dead and here he was hiding underwater in a cave. But suddenly, as if Yue herself had deemed him in the need of help, a thought shot into his mind like a candle in the darkness. Meng, Jeng and Lo still needed him, were still waiting at the apartment for him, hoping he was alive. And the resistance still needed the scroll on his bag...

Sokka groaned as he dared to reach slowly, more due to his pain and fatigue, and grasped empty air. He muttered a dark curse and found, to his dismay, that his back pack was indeed gone. Sighing once again he just flaoted in the water for a long time, hours, days weeks, he had no idea how long he had been in the small cave, or air hole. But after a while he managed to gather the strength to take a deep breath and then dive into the water again before swimming slowly, now almost entirely sure that his shoulder had been broken, out of the hole and then swam as fast as he could towards the surface.

After a few seconds he broke the surface, gasping for air and grasping for the shore. He finally managed to get onto the small bit of grassy shore. After breathing deeply he glanced up at the sky and found it was a bit before midday. He glanced at the surrounding area next. He found that he had landed less then a hundred feet from the wall, having landed in a rather big looking pond, or miniature lake. What he saw near him made his heart clench.

Weng was laying on the ground, or what was left of him, not more then five feet from Sokka. The earth bender's spine was poking out from his back and was also sticking out from the spot just under his neck as well as the torn bits of his throat. His head was mostly smashed apart and his legs were crushed bone and tattered flesh. The chest area was mostly blown apart, organs spilling onto the ground or just vanished entirely, and what caused the largest pile of bile to rise in his throat was the blood, it was just everywhere. All over the ground, pouring from the dead mans body and even floating in the water a bit along with some mushy meat.

He felt his chest lock up and his eyes water as he groaned in grief and then started murmuring to himself. "No. No. No. No. NO!" he started sobbing as he noticed other bodies lying in the grass nearby, bones poking out, limbs missing and above all, their faces. Every last one that was still intact had the look of utter terror, fear and pain.

Sokka began to weep heavily for who knew how long before he finally managed to get control of himself. The prince then stood up slowly and offered them a prayer to the gods before cursing Azula's name and then proceeded to look for his bag. It wasn't a fun thing to do, as he kept running into bits of flesh, gore, teeth, and limbs as he searched. The stench of death only made it worse as he looked around, his shoulder hurting and his mind screaming at him to leave before he was spotted. After an hour he gave up, his bag was lost and now he had nothing to report or hand in. he barely remembered the troop or ship movements, the only thing that really stuck in his mind was the fact that a large portion of ships and troops were massing at Chameleon Bay. Other then that there was nothing else that he could think of, and then the message stating that the invasion began in 30 days popped into his head. Reassuring himself, Sokka decided that would have to do.

He then began the long trek across the plains, however after a while he was forced into hiding in the deep brush as war balloons and air ships started searching the area, then later dozens of tanks and troop companies began coming the area for any surviving rebels. By the time the sun had set the patrols were toning down but not entirely.

After hours of waiting and hiding Sokka decided it was time to continue on. He got up from the grass and moved across the plains for hours until he came near one of the gates. He quickly moved over to the wall and sighed. This wasn't good. He had completely forgotten that he needed an earth bender to open the hidden underground tunnel that led into the city. Now that he had no more earth benders, he couldn't enter the massive city. Growling to himself he knew there was no way in. however once again fate shined on him, off in the distance he could see a large group of wooden wagons, being pulled by two donkeys each, were heading slowly towards the gates.

Immediately a plan started to form in the prince's mind.

* * *

"Halt!" the sharp voice of the guard rang out as he held up a hand towards the caravan, the lead driver made a whip like motion with the reins and the donkeys stopped, the wagons behind him immediately fallowed suit.

The guard, complete with a black helmet and red visor, marched forward with seven more guards marching to surround the caravan. The head guard then motioned for the driver to get off the front of the wagon.

The man gave the reins to another man sitting beside him before he jumped off and landed next to the soldier. He wore the clothes of a common farmer and smiled half heartily at the guard captain. "Something I can do for you sir?" he asked polity.

The guard growled at him. "Whats in these" he said gesturing at the wagons with his spear. The man chuckled nervously.

"um..wheat, flower, pig, goat...just some stuff we saved for the market" he said as the guard seemed to glare at him, which was quite a feet with the helmet.

"Where are you coming from, where are you going" the guard said in a bored tone, suggesting he had said this many times.

The famer managed a weak grin. "Comin from a town called Gaipan sir" he said politly, though it was obvious he was scared of the menacing man that continued to eye his things.

The guard nodded. "Well we shouldn't keep you from the market" he said coldly before walking over to a wagon and pulling the curtain aside to find it filled with sacks of bread. He grabbed several sacks and then closed the curtain and tossed the bags to his men. "Looks like your free to go" he said smugly as he moved aside and the rest of the guards moved away from the gate.

The man looked sadly at his bread sacks before getting on his wagon and riding off. The head guard never even saw the pair of glaring blue eyes hidden under the cart.

* * *

Zuko glared at the head of the War Minister. "How" he said very coldly, making shivers run down the man's spine. "Is it that a rebel attack was able to successfully capture the vital scroll I put under your care to deliver....how is it that your men have failed to find any survivors and _how_ is it that you still try and blame the fault on others!" Zuko spat out in rage as the other members of the war room scooted back into their cushions, scared that the Overlord might try and fry the man on the spot. And oh how Zuko wanted to.

The War Minister fumbled for a reply. "M-My lord! T-there was n-no possible way they could have known about the scroll being there! The best guards in the empire were protecting that base! It is treachery I tell you!" he said and was silenced from his speech by the Overlord.

"SILENCE!" Zuko bellowed and the flames surrounding him roared high into the air, nearly growing so hot that they threatened to cook all those in the room. "You are a coward! You blame others for your mistake. I intrusted you with that scroll. Now, go and find it!" he demanded.

The War Minister looked flabbergasted as he stood up in defiance. "My Lord. There has to be a better use for my skills the-" he was cut off by another roar of rage from the Overlord.

"YOU HAVE FAILED ME TWICE NOW! RETRIEVE THE SCROLL OR I WILL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN!" he roared loudly as the flames shot higher, raising the temperature to a painful degree, even for the hot blooded fire benders. "LEAVE!" he roared and his eyes flashed a threatening stare at all of them if they dared to defy the order.

The war room became empty in seconds as Zuko sighed. He rubbed his eyes as he rose and headed for the side door that led to his own room. This had become so very annoying. The invasion of the North drew near and now the Earth Kingdom Resistance was rising up to try and cause trouble for him again. He needed to find out were they were located so he could deal with them. Once and for all.

* * *

it was early the next morning by the time Sokka had managed to sneak back to the apartment. The sight of all of the memories they had made here, it made him almost start weeping again. He had been a distant person since his fathers death and his sister and Aang going missing. But he still cared for the men he had spent nearly two years with on a certain level. How Chu would crack the rare joke as they got ready for an operation. Or how Fo would laugh just to humor him. Even when Meng and Jeng got a bit to into their kissing and he had yelled at them to calm down, all of it seemed so important now.

Sighing he slowly unlocked the door, how the key had survive he would never know, and entered the house. To his great surprise he found both Meng and Jeng curled up on the couch near the table, the former asleep in his arms as Jeng looked up and yelped in joy. Meng woke up instantly and mimicked Jeng as the two teens ran forward towards Sokka.

"What happened to you!" Meng shouted.

"Where are the others?" Jeng said.

Sokka sighed wearily and fell down into a chair. He held back the tears that were trying to pour out as he responded. "They didn't make it" he muttered sadly.

Meng looked shocked. Jeng looked just as surprised as he stuttered. "W-What! How!" he yelled. "How can _all_ of them be _dead_!?" he shrieked.

Sokka growled. "Azula" he muttered and the two teens, even in their young lives they knew that name, grew silent.

"S-She was there?" Meng asked in horror. Sokka nodded slowly and she leaned into Jeng. "Oh no.." she whispered.

Jeng held her tightly as he growled. "When I get my hands on her i'll..."

"You _Won't_ Jeng! Even the Avatar had trouble fighting her! How in the name of the gods will you!" he snapped. Jeng and Meng both looked stricken as he did this and he kicked himself for being so cruel to them. They hadn't seen what he had seen, they didn't know the horror and pain that woman had caused him. "Im sorry...im just worn out..." he said carefully. "Im going to go to sleep. You two should get some rest, we have to go somewhere tomorrow" he said before getting up and walking off towards his room. His head hung low.

He trudged down the halls silently as he passed the rooms of his comrades, hearing the laughter and practical jokes they had pulled trying to as Fo would put it. 'get the old man to crack a smile'. Sighing he entered the room and fell onto his bed, not caring about his burnt and ruined clothes or his broken shoulder at the moment. The memories had kept that pain away for now. "Tomorrow" he whispered before slipping off into blissful peace.

* * *

**man, nearly ten thousand words in one chapter?! Personally I thought it was short in some areas and longer in others. Less descriptive in other areas and interesting in others. I think there were areas I could fix and make better, but im tired and this thing has been worked on long enough. Thanks for reading this monster of a chapter and LEAVE A REVIEW! Or I will send Sokka to kill you! (after I fix his shoulder)**

**This was actually sorta fun to write, and I enjoyed it. I slid some shout outs into this chapter, try and find em. I hope the gory scene wasn't to much. And im sorry if I messed around with the amount of time it takes to scale the wall and what not. After writing this and looking at the picture. I realize I REALLY messed up the height and what not. Please ignore this. And the part with the underwater cave thing. Just think of it as going under a waterfall, on the other side is a pocket of air, k? Thanks for reading this and once again REVIEW!**

**C U NEX TiME! * Theme Music plays ***


	7. Chapter 7

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 7: Hunted_

**Hey there guys! Thanks to my dedicated readers of this fic, still hoping for a large amount of reviews (hey I can hope!) and am ready to get back to work. Hopefully I am entertaining you guys with this thing. Im a bit upset I haven't added any comedy or romance, as those two things I lack in my fics, and am also sorry if the last chap was too graphic. I will be the first to say I am a bit insane and have a higher 'bar' of what is and isn't too gory or bloody. Due mostly to my bloody M rated video games and horror loving personality, let me know if I need to tone it down...**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own ATLA (ever notice Avatar the Last Airbender spelled that?) or it's products under its ownership...yet.**

Sokka rolled over in his silk bed as he groaned. He was so wore out that he barely noticed Meng break into his room, literally. One second he was in his nice little room...and the next...Meng busted the door down with a bloody axe with fear and frustration in her eyes as she yelled, "WAKE UP SOKKA!" she yelled loudly.

Sokka rolled over to face the wall, and not face Meng. "If your fricken pregnant then ill kill Jeng later...let me sleep" he groaned out as he held his head, he was way to tired to be waking up this early in the decade, maybe the next decade he would 'consider' waking up.

For a moment Meng looked horrified, flustered, disgusted and revolted, all in one, it was actually a pretty impressive sight if he had been looking, or had his eyes open. "First, we're careful...second....WE NEED TO LEAVE!" Sokka was pretty sure she screamed the last part just because of his previous comment.

Sokka groaned for the, what was it? Thousandth?, time before he rolled over to the face the young women. "Why?" he asked in a slightly slurred tone as he began to slink into the abyss of sleep. Meng half ran, half walked, over to his bed side and grabbed him by the blood caked and burnt armor of his shoulder, the broken one, and shook him hard.

"BECAUSE THE WATCHERS ARE HEADING THIS WAY!" she shouted loudly. Now, whether because Meng had just caused a searing pain to rise up across his entire chest, the fact that the Watchers were fast approaching, or some other reason, Sokka shot up from the bed as he inwardly muttered enough 'foul' words that would have left Gran-Gran in a coma for life, if she had not passed away less then a few months before the Invasion of the Southern Water Tribe.

"Where's Jeng!" he muttered loudly to the only female in the Ba Sing Se Resistance Outpost as he gathered up his sword from where he had left it to clatter to the floor the other night. He then moved, rather slowly at first, to his desk and gathered his few belongings before moving out of the room, finding Jeng running down the corridor right towards them. The young agent slammed into the older one and both ended up sprawled on the floor as Jeng collided with Sokka.

As he muttered a rather dark and inventive curse under his breath Sokka stood up and hauled Jeng up off the floor before glancing down the corridor. "Where" he demanded. Jeng seemed to freeze up for a minute before snapping out of it.

" Moving up around the house!" he said, despite being a tough kid and having experienced a lot of death in his relatively short life, even he was scared of a group of Watchers...mortally scared.

Sokka growled. "Jeng go set the timers, Meng follow me" he said quickly as he unsheathed his blade and ran down the corridor towards the bathroom. Minutes later and Jeng was running towards the bathroom as well.

"I set them!" Jeng said as Sokka slammed his blade down on the toilet, smashing the object before pointig the blade at the hole in the floor, roughly the size of a person if they squeezed in a bit.

"Down now!" Sokka yelled as the two stared at him as if he had just said the war was over and Zuko was marrying a cactus and Azula had become a harmless bunny..ok maybe that was exaggerating but still! "It's crap or fire!" he yelled, wondering if he could pass it off as a proverb. Suddenly the two made a choice and jumped down into the hole, moaning and cursing the entire time as they somewhat slowly slid down the hole, Sokka then jumped down after them.

Seconds after he made it about halfway down the hole there was a massive explosion and he winced inwardly. Hopefully that didn't hit anyone else's homes. Despite the Fire Nation owning the city, there was still innocent citizens living up in the inner ring, filthy rich innocent citizens, but still innocent citizens.

As they dropped into the churning sewage system of Ba Sing Se Sokka wondered how much damage was done, since they had never tested the blasting jelly he had modified with a highly explosive mineral found all over the earth kingdom, the funny thing was, despite the high blast yield it still took a hot flame to blow the darn things up. Sokka had them employed at his outpost for just the occasion they were sadly in, if the Inferno Empire attacked them, then there would be no way they would capture the information inside the building.

Smiling grimly as he ran along the edge of the rushing sewage waters next to him Sokka thought only one thing other then escaping to the pick up point for the scroll he didn't have. _Take that jerks!_.

* * *

Zuko sighed explosively as he walked back and forth across his inner chambers on the top floor of the spire like tower that dominated the palace of his empire. Why, why of all times did this have to happen _now_?! He had just gotten a scroll from one of his generals that a house having been identified as part of the resistance had just been blown sky high, leaving the twelve Watchers he had sent after the rebels now literally a pile of mush.

If those rebels escaped with that scroll then his invasion plans might be at risk. He turned to Azula, who was sitting lazily on one of the couches in the chamber he was in, one of his receiving rooms that had a large glass window covering most of one wall, with thick rugs and tapestries and gold statues covering the room along with black and gold and silver sets of armor and stainless steel and gold blades, spears and other weapons hanging around the room, the entire room being mostly blacks, reds and golds. The Overlord of the Inferno Empire didn't even notice this at all though when he spoke to his most trusted confidant and ally, his sister. "Azula" he said getting her attention. "I want you to hunt down those rebels, get that scroll from them and bring me that leader. I want to know if there are any more outposts in Ba Sing Se" he said as he shifted his gaze to a pair of duel swords hung over the large fire place in front of the couch Azula was relaxing on. Though he had named it New Ozai, he still considered it to be Ba Sing Se.

Azula nodded and stood up, heading for the door. "Oh, and Azula" he called as she headed for the door. Making a 'hmm?' sound with her throat Azula poked her head back in through the door. "I want the leader _alive_ this time".

* * *

Sokka groaned as he managed to lift the lid off the hole it had been covering. Slowly he, Meng and Jeng pulled themselves out of the stinky sewer and sealed the hatch again and then started scraping what they could off of their cloths. Once that was done they exited the small alley and began traveling down the streets of New Ozai. While they had been traveling underground the sun had risen and was now standing a quarter of the way from being at the center of the sky.

Moving quickly and keeping their faces down the three agents for the resistance made their way to a bakery and then turned down the alley between it and a sewing shop. The trio then proceeded down a narrow crisscrossing maze of buildings and alleys until they stopped under a stand and pretended to be inspecting the cabbages being sold by a old man, his white hair and wrinkled skin seeming to suggest he had lived a long life annoyed life.

"Ok so were are we going" Meng asked in a soft whisper, so quiet that Sokka barely heard it.

He turned to face her, looking as if he was showing her the cabbage for her own inspection. "To a Imperial barracks base in the southern part of the middle ring" he whispered back.

Meng blanched. "Are you crazy!" she shouted and then realized her mistake as few people stopped and stared at her. "These cabbages look great....they look really great!" she finished lamely. The pedestrians and soldiers that had stopped to look simply continued on to their own destinations. "Are you crazy!" she whispered, much quieter this time. "Why would we go there!?" she demanded.

Sokka grinned. "Because the last place they would think we would place a pick up point or escape route would be right in one of their own barrack stations" he explained in a hushed whisper. He then put the cabbage back and started walking away from the stand while the old man started muttering about something unintelligibly.

* * *

It took a few more hours to navigate around patrols and Watchers until they made it close to the base in the middle ring of the city, careful to keep their faces hidden from the populace of the city, just in case. Sokka of course knew that they were still being followed, of course the pursuers were a good ways behind them, but still on the trail.

However when a dagger suddenly flew inches past his nose and landed into the stone wall of a nearby house, Sokka knew they were closer then he had expected. Turning around he saw a handful of Watchers flying across the rooftops towards him, daggers resting in their knuckles as they sped towards them.

He turned to both Meng and Jeng, who were just registering the situation. "Get out of here!" he yelled as they stared at him unmoving. "i'll hold them off, just get to the Barracks base and find a woman named Eza, black hair and silver eyes. She's one of the base perimeter guards. GO!" he shouted out quickly before drawing his blade and catching the longsword of a Watcher mere inches from his face. "GO!" he shouted again as he kicked another Watcher and elbowed another in the face as he twisted away from the group, his expert swordsmen abilities kicking in as he slashed at one, the meteor blade punched through the armor and managed to cut partially into the Watcher's arm.

The Watcher cried out in pain before embedding two daggers into his leg, where he had no armor unfortunately. Yelping in pain he pulled the blades out with his left hand while he also noticed both teenage operatives were still frozen to their spots. Sokka groaned and managed to dodge a third dagger. "GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted as he slashed again, this time hitting a dagger out of the air as he once again kicked another Watcher to the floor of the street. However he got a dagger in the shoulder for it, luckily this time it bounced of the armor, but it still left his shoulder sore.

Growling Sokka sucker punched the Watcher who had tried to rise, putting him out of the fight for a while as he brought his blade up just in time to deflect another throwing dagger.

When he glanced back at where Jeng and Meng had been standing he was overjoyed to see they had finally fled. Now, determined to by the time, Sokka ran forward and engaged another Watcher, who was wielding a long sword. The two traded blows while Sokka had to deflect the other two still standing Watchers flying daggers. He actually was surprised he had lasted this long as he managed to knock the Watchers feet out from under him before stomping on his throat as hard as he could. Normally he would hate to do that to anyone, but it was either dirty or death, and he would rather live for a few more minutes. And as his foot connected with the Watcher's throat he felt something snap just before he himself was hit in the left shoulder twice by daggers. This time he left them in his arm instead of pulling them out like he had done with his leg.

Growling in pain the warrior charged the two remaining Watchers and slashed and stabbed at them, however if they had simply been toying with them or if his blood loss was the culprit, either way Sokka felt himself slipping and his vision fading as he stared slowing down as his left arm grew numb and his right leg start feeling rubbery while he managed to block another throwing knife.

Using what adrenaline he had left in his system Sokka managed to outmaneuver one of the remaining Watchers and cut the major blood vein on his right leg. And while the Watcher clutched the limb he brought his fist up in a powerful uppercut, knocking the Inferno Agent clean off the floor before he smashed into the ground, his body limp as Sokka was punched hard in the gut, being sent flying into the dirt filled street as he felt another dagger punch through his back armor, nearly hitting his spine. Groaning he stood up and faced the last Watcher, his blade held up in the air, wobbly as he felt his hands follow his leg in the rubbery feeling.

The final Watcher then jumped back to a safe distance and before Sokka could figure out what it meant a blue fireball slammed into the ground in front of him, sending the resistance agent flying once again into the dirt.

"I have to admit" a evilly sweet sound voice mocked. "You lasted longer then I would have thought". When Sokka glanced up he found that none other then Princess Azula stood before him, now clad in her usual dark black armor. Her polished boots less then a foot from his feet. "But now im afraid this game must come to an end" she said darkly before bringing her foot up and then slamming it down. Sokka felt something heavy hit him before he lost all feeling in his body and then he himself was lost in the numbness that had covered his body, as he slowly lost consciousness.

* * *

**Like it?**

**This was personally a bit boring of a chapter to me and had nothing of too great importance, with really little in it. But I think it was worth posting up, im sorry for taking so long. But with Dark Order: The Empire Strikes Back coming up and me having to start getting it ready and with my new fic, A Dragon's Breath along with my other two fics, Winter's Breath and Shadow's Dawn, I have been a bit overworked and couple that with my recent sickness that came out of nowhere and I have been enduring a hecktic spring break.**

**I want to thank you guys for waiting for this thing and I hope you can inspire me to finish this thing before May, as I fear if it continues from there then it may never be finished. **

**Rant Time: REIVEW REIVEW REIVEW!!!!!!**

**my name's Lostsword and I'll C U NEXT TiME!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 8: The Prisoner_

**Man It has been a while! I recently finished ADB and now I want to get to work on this thing before DARK ODER 2 comes out, so im off in the race to finish this thing!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own ATLA or it's Characters!**

Sokka groaned loudly. Pain racked his body and his arms and legs felt like rubber. His eyes slowly cracked open after a few minutes and he found himself in a rectangle like stone room. There were no windows and only one door. The roof was high above him and the floor was dusty, the wall he was currently chained to was jagged and broken, the bits of stone that weren't smooth were digging painfully into his sore back.

Sokka realized his armor and weapons were gone, now replaced by a simply red tunic and pants, both giving off little protection to the cold, dankness of the room. He groaned once more as he replayed the battle in his mind. He should have just killed himself!

Now he was captured and that option was gone, and worse, he knew that Azula would no doubt be his torturer. And if there was one thing that women was good at, it was making people scream.

As if the gods themselves wanted to make him regret his thoughts, the metal door at the far end of his prison chamber creaked open. And then she walked in.

clad in a rather alluring black and gold tunic, like the one she had been wearing during his raid on the information tower, she walked barefoot across the stone floor and stood before him, now the two stood head to head, after years of growth.

She smiled sweetly at him, but it was fake, cruel, smile. "So where is the information?" she asked kindly, not fooling him for a second.

Sokka's answer was spitting at her face. Azula simply glared at him. "Wrong answer" she growled before punching him hard in the gut, and Sokka swore a bone broke, but that might just be because of the wet crack he had heard. "Now..." she said, loosing the sweet attitude and taking on her calm, calculating, evil persona. "Tell me were the scroll is...or things will get a bit....hot in here" she said seductively as her palm opened and a blue flame leapt up in her hand.

Sokka gulped. "N...Never" he said defiantly.

Azula smiled sinisterly. "Ooh a tuff one to crack huh? I like that" she whispered the last part in his ear, then she slammed her still burning palm into his side. The prince screamed in utter pain as this happened. Azula then removed her hand and casually walked over to the door, opening it and speaking with the guard before returning to him. "Feel like talking now" she said after a few seconds.

Sokka felt utter, utter, pain at the moment but refused to give in. "Go...go ju...jump in a...volcano.....wi..tch" he was then powerfully backhanded twice before she kicked him hard in the thigh, right on his dagger wound.

The tribal prince howled in rage and pain as she stood there, smirking slightly. He rode the waves of pain for a few more minutes before at last dropping slightly towards the floor, his chains forcing him to stay upright. He whimpered softly as the blue flame reappeared in her hand. "Unless you have something to say..." she said in a sing song voice.

Sokka really wanted to tell her that the scroll was truthfully lost, but, in the back of his mind he knew that the scroll was the only thing keeping him alive at the moment. He shook his head and she scowled. "Fine" she said easily before slamming her hand back upon him, this time below his side and on his leg.

The same screaming could be heard as Sokka trembled in pain. Azula stopped after a few seconds and removed her hand. "Done yet?" she asked as he began panting in animal like cries of anguish as he continued to shake his head at her.

She sighed before standing to the side before clapping her hands. Two women came in and removed his shirt and began to apply a odd cream to the burns placed there. They then rolled up his pants leg and did the same there, the two women then left after a sharp command from the princess.

Azula returned to standing before him, a odd glimmer in her eyes as she glared at him. "Tell me, or the pain goes right back" she demanded. Sokka, despite the pain, even if it was slightly numbed, shook his head in defiance once again.

Azula spat at his face before she managed to regain control of her emotions. She then raised her hand and brought the bright blue flame closer to him, aiming for his stomach. "Let's see what kind of screams you'll give me if I burn you there" she said as she lowered her hand, nearly bringing the flame to his stomach. "Last chance..." she whispered at him sinisterly.

Sokka simply whimpered, then Azula placed her hand on his stomach and the last thing he remembered was screaming his lungs out, unimaginable pain shooting through every single vein in his body.

* * *

Sokka awoke groggily at first, his eyes showing nothing but a bleary cell at first. But as his vision became clearer, his anger soared. His nostrils flared in pure hatred as he struggled against his chains, but the amount of pain, adding that of Azula's torture, forced him to groan inwardly as he struggled with the mountains upon mountains of pain, for he would not willingly show that he was weak to the man before him.

He looked older, a lot more bitter and, even if he didn't want to admit it, a bit wise. Of course he knew that Zuko was still the insane loose cannon that he had always been.

The overlord of virtually the entire world sat before Sokka, garbed in black and gold robes and wearing a golden crown with a gem from each nation set in it, his features were drawn and stern, the bitterness that seemed to be a entire part of Zuko was chiseled into his features. He sat on a wooden chair, his hand tapping softly against the oak chair's arm rests as he looked at Sokka calmly, calculatingly, like his sister.

"You've changed Sokka" Zuko said bluntly. Sokka felt his mouth drop. He knew? He knew who he was? But Azula hadn't....

Zuko spoke again, seeming to read Sokka's thoughts. "I spent much more time with you and the rest of team _avatar_" this part he spat distastefully "then my sister, she believes you are nothing more then a simple earth peasant, but I know better. You wouldn't happen to know were Aang is would you?" he asked at last.

Sokka snarled and struggled against the bonds once more, only to be driven back by the pain once again. "W-What? no....no were...er is the...scr...oll?" he asked in pieces as he tried to appear cocky and annoying, just for the cruel monster before him, just to make his day worse.

All he got out of it was a punch to the gut that, if he hadn't been chained to a wall, would have dropped him to the floor. Scratch that, Sokka thought, he got a lot faster too. He hadn't even seen Zuko move, yet the man had managed to cross half the entire space of the room and sucker punch his gut like it was water so fast that he had only realized he had moved AFTER he was punched.

"You mock me" Zuko spat. "After I save your life...after I spare your miserable life, you still defy me. I could leave you to Azula, with no restrictions, and all I ask is where is Aang!" he snarled.

Sokka seemed to grow more sad. "If only I knew..." he whispered.

Zuko sighed before sitting back down in his chair. "I never wanted this...i wanted peace...but this world will never have it. Not yet" he said after a few minutes. "Don't you see, a man with such a mind as you? The world _needs_ a single government. Wars are fought all of the time as each country tries for more land, but if a single government were to rule...." he said.

"Then there would be no more wars..." Soka finished, slightly understanding him. "But your not aiming for peace...your aiming for revenge..and death...and" he was cut off by another lightning fast punch, to the side of the face.

"The Earth Kingdom....slaughtered my people!" he said shaking with rage as he stared at the water tribe prince.

Sokka laughed. "Oh gee I wonder why! Maybe because you did it to THEM FIRST!" he got another kick in the ribs.

"The Fire Nation" Zuko seethed as he wondered if the fall from the top of his tower would be a painful enough death for the man before him. "was stabbed in the BACK! We declared war on a hostile nation yes, but not directly AFTER signing a PEACE treaty with them! Nor did we do it without warning, the Fire Nation declared war! The Earth Kingdom invaded us without warning, after ordering us to lower out troop and naval numbers...and like fools we did so!" he shouted at the prince. His rant putting up the massive mistake the Earth Kingdom had made in bold letters.

"And you...went beyond that" Sokka said, ignoring the pain from the following punch, punches. "you...destroyed the....south...enslaved the....Earth....Kingdom...your....a mon...ster" Sokka declared, each word earning him a punch. "go ahead, kill me!" he spat at him. "I won't break" he said determinedly.

"We'll see..." Zuko snarled as he spat in Sokka's face, leavinghte spit to drip down his face as he stalked out of the chamber, slamming the door shut, causing the candle to go out and leave the prince in total darkness.

* * *

im really tired, so just leave a review * yawn * an goo night!

C U NEXT TiME!


	9. Chapter 9

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 9: Council of War_

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER OR IT'S CHARACTERS**

Zuko mentally groaned as he sat on his throne in his war room, his many generals and admirals talking to him about the problems and issues that his Empire was dealing with, most noticeably the Resistance.

"So you see my Emperor" Admiral Yo'Lon said as he prattled on about the most recent uprising in Gaoling. "If we send a battalion to crush this group here" he pointed at the dot on the massive map that represented the major city of Gaoling. "We will be that much closer to destroying the resistance" he said.

Zuko nodded. "General Hyro" he said and faced his favorite General, the only one who seemed to have a tactical mind on the battlefield anymore. "Did any of your men find the invasion scroll?" he asked.

The man stood, his armor clinking as he did so. "No, my emperor" he said sadly. "However at this point in time, I believe it was destroyed" he said.

Zuko nodded once more and sat back down on his throne, examining the massive map that was sprawled out across the War Room's table. "Very well...forget about the scroll for now. Move a battalion to deal with Gaoling, then I want you to Chameleon Bay, the invasion is drawing near, I want everything ready for it" he said coldly to his general as the others stood up, knowing that the meeting was over.

Hyro bowed. "Yes, my emperor" he said and left the room, intending to carry out his orders as Zuko sat back in his chair, his head lowering as he at last sighed.

"How can you put up with those stuck up generals all day?" Azula asked as she walked out of the shadows and stood behind him.

Zuko smiled softly. "Did you have fun?" he asked.

Azula scowled. "No. That peasant refuses to talk" she said bitterly.

Zuko nodded. He had contemplated telling her of Sokka's identity, but had thought better of it. If she knew he was a member of Team Avatar, she might just kill him without thinking. Especially if she knew he was the brother of Katara... "I want you to go to Gaoling with Hyro. Deal with the Resistance there." he said.

Azula pouted. "But he's old!" she complained. "And Besides, there's nothing there to do. It'll be over in ten minutes and then I'll have to come _all_ the way back here" she said.

Zuko just nodded. "Just do it" he said sternly and stood up, then left the War Room and a upset sibling.

/

Sokka felt as if he had been thrown off the Great Wall a dozen times over. His body was covered in horrid burns and scars from his little 'Sessions' with Azula. And while they had been unimaginably painful, he had to admit to himself that, privately, the Inferno Empire's medical knowledge was rather impressive, as he would have died from such torture by any other nation. Not that there _were_ any other nations, other then the Northern Water Tribe.

Suddenly the metal door in his prison room creaked open and Zuko, still in his gold and black robes walked in, his crown gleaming in the candle light as he sat before his prisoner much like he had done the first time he had talked to Sokka the first day he had been captured.

"Sokka" Zuko said as he stared at the water tribesmen. "What do you know of Gaoling?" he asked.

Sokka shrugged as best as he could, due to his arms being chained to the wall. "I hear they have a wonderful bird wat-" he stopped when Zuko hit him hard enough to cause his bones to _nearly_ break. Panting, he looked up at his second tormentor of the day. "I spent all day with that _lovely_ sister of yours, so I know this when I say you hit like a stupid gir-" again he was hit in the gut, causing him to cry out in pain as he laughed in the Emperor's face.

"It is amusing to me that you still have the ability to keep your spirit up after ten days of torture..." he said coldly.

"Well, your not the most enjoyable company, but I can't reall-" another punch. "You..." Sokka paused as he coughed out a bit of blood. "...need to really..." he coughed again. "...Work on your people skills" he said with a short laugh.

Zuko bent down a bit so he could stare right into Sokka's eyes with as much malice as he could gather. "Azula may be better at causing pain and suffering to the mind" he said softly as his hand lit up with a blazing orange fire. "But _I_ have always known the limits of the human body" he seethed. Sokka's response was a bitter laugh. "Let's see if you laugh when i'm done..." he muttered as he brought his hand up, the fire blazing. Sokka would regret laughing at him when he was done...

/

Aang glanced at the buildings of Gaoling, which had aged a bit and where now covered in, what appeared to be, recently torn posters and Inferno Empire flags. As he and Katara entered the city, he realized something was wrong.

There were no Imperial guardsmen around, and what made things even more weird, was that the streets were crowded with hundreds of people cheering, shouting and pumping their fists into the air.

"Aang?" Katara asked quietly as they made their way through the crowd, their cloaks looking odd among all of the sleeveless tunics of the Earth citizens.

Before Aang could answer her, a figure stood up on a broken fountain. It was a man in dented and scratched brown armor with a stained green tunic and pants underneath, a sword snugly tied to his leather belt and gloves in one hand as he thrust his fist into the air, causing the crowd to go wild as they shouted "Canis!" over and over.

After a few minutes, the man raised his hands and the crowd quieted. "My fellow citizens" he shouted among the crowd. "Today is a great day" he continued. "For, less then four days ago, our beloved General Toph lead her fellow freedom fighters against the evil, oppressive forces of the Inferno Empire and sent them running for the hills like the dogs that THEY ARE!" he said, his voice growing louder and louder until he was screaming. "And your hero is here today!" he shouted and to both the Airbender and Waterbender's surprise, Toph herself stood up on the edge of the ruined fountain, clad in the same brown armor and green clothing. However she had changed a good bit. Her hair was longer, now down to the end of her neck, and what shocked them the most was how tall she had gotten, now standing head to head with the man next to her.

"TOPH!" the crowd cheered as she waved at the crowd, acting a lot more friendly then she had when they had last seen her.

"Toph!" Aang shouted, his voice carrying across the entire street, causing everyone to freeze and look at Aang, who had thrown back his hood. Toph, here face frozen in shock as she felt both his and Katara's presence in the ground, only spoke one word.

"Aang?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 10: A Sad Discovery_

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ATLA (Avatar: The last Airbender)**

"Aang! Katara!" Toph shouted, this time more louder and confident as she ran through the crowd, which parted as their general came near them, allowing her through without even so much as a command. She instantly crashed into both Aang and Katara and gave them both a strong hug, but since she was hugging the both of them it wasn't very tight.

"Toph!" Katara said as her old friend hugged her. After a second the blind earth bender let go of the two of them and smiled wickedly.

"You got tall twinkle toes!" she said as she laughed. "And Katara's more of a women now too!" she said, a bit of distaste in her voice as she said this. She didn't hate Katara, but the idea of acting 'Girly' was still, and always would be, something she hated.

"So did you" Aang said cheerfully and Katara nearly thought the past few years had been nothing but a dream and they were all hanging out after the end of the Great War, but the next thing that happened changed all of that.

A man ran forward and bowed to the three of them, something that made Katara a bit uncomfortable. "General" he said, looking a bit out of breath. As if he had just run a great distance. "I have terrible news..." he said gravely.

Toph looked a bit glum now, but nodded and the man continued. "One of our spies just reported that the High Council is sending a battalion to deal with our uprising here" he said sadly.

Toph kicked the dirt in anger as the crowd outside was sent into their homes by earth rebels, encase Inferno Shock troops attacked before they were ready. "They were all supposed to be in Chameleon Bay! How did a-"

"It isn't a normal battalion...it-it's Hyro's" he said grimly, causing Toph to pale. "What are your orders?" he asked.

"Send out word, have all our remaining troops dig in around the town in the bunkers, we'll hold them off there. If they break through, make sure all the civilians are sent to the caves before the Imperials get here" she ordered and the man nodded and ran off.

"Who's Hyro?" Aang asked.

Toph stared at him for a second, then sighed. "He's the head of the Imperial Army. A real by the book guy" she said with a bit of admiration and distaste. "He's the guy that wiped out the Southern Water Tribe" Toph admitted grimly. "And if his _personal_ battalion is marching this way, we're gonna need _both_ of you to hold out" she said. "Come on" she then gestured for them to follow and headed towards a alley behind the broken fountain she had been standing on as soldiers began to run around, securing the town and keeping watch. With little other choice, Aang allowed Appa to be taken by a soldier, who promised to take him straight to their hidden stables, and he and his love followed their old friend towards the diserted alley.

Once they were in the alley, Toph sank to her knees and hit the floor with her palm open and they watched in surprise as a staircase appeared as a part of the ground opened up. "My family built upon the old Earth Rumble arena, digging more caverns and tunnels and built a whole complex out of them, right now it stretches under all of the city and even to a few of the mountains, so we can get in and out of the city pretty easy" she said as they made their way down the stairs. "This entire place is pretty much the main hub for the Resistance, all the higher up leaders are here, and the intelligence and commando's are based here too." she added as they came into a chamber filled with rebels sharpening weapons and moving boxes around.

Aang watched it all in wonder as they moved down a tunnel and into a larger cavern and then began moving towards another tunnel. Suddenly Katara spoke up, asking the question that had been on her, and his, mind ever since they had heard the word, 'Intelligence'.

"Toph?" the girl leading them made a sort of sound with her throat that showed she was listening. "Have...have you heard anything on Sokka? Or my...father?" she said, trying to keep the buried emotions buried as she asked those two painful questions.

Toph froze, causing her two friends to nearly crash into her. She seemed to be in a almost trance-like state before she spoke very, very softly. "No...I...haven't" she said, but Aang could feel her lying, her very own technique working against her as he felt her heart change paces through he earth.

As the girl tried to exit the tunnel, a wall shot up and effectively blocked the three of them in there as another wall shot up on the other end of the tunnel. "Toph" Aang said as the girl's or young woman's really, shoulders fall down in defeat. "What do you know?" he asked.

Toph sighed. "Nothing Aang" she said, trying to avoid the, well, messy truth...

In a split second, and a gust of wind, Aang was across the short distance between them and had the teenage woman by the throat up against the wall. "Katara's _Brother_ and _Father_ are missing and you know something. Tell us!" he demanded. Friend or not, his loyalty to Katara far outweighed his friendship with Toph at the moment. Back during the end of the great war, he might have acted different and less rash. But five years of misery and suffering had caused him to change, just like everyone else.

If he had been told, five years ago, that he would nearly kill a Earth Kingdom General, that the Fire Nation would be massacred, and then become a dominating world power ruled by his best friend while one of his other friends became a rebel general and his brother in law would be presumed dead, well he would have never believed it, now...now it was all to true.

Toph sighed and lowered her head. "Trust me Aang...you don't want to know" she said, almost pleading. "Just leave it al-" she was cut off as Katara got in her face.

"I have spent the past two years, wondering if my brother is dead or alive. If you think _whatever_ you have to say is _worse_ then that, then tough, I want to _know_" the water princess demanded.

Toph seemed to be on the verge of crying, or screaming in frustration, as she took in a breath. "He's dead..." she said.

Katara gasped and Aang nearly dropped Toph in his shock as the girl hung her head lower, her face looking utterly, completely destroyed as she said that.

"What?" Katara asked. "Dead? No. No that's...That's..." she started sobbing and leaned against Aang, who had finally dropped Toph.

"How...How are you sure?" Aang asked.

"Two of our agents..." she whispered. "They...came back from his outpost-"

"What?" Katara wailed as she stared at her friend, tears running down her face. "Outpost?" she said in small voice. He couldn't be...he couldn't...

Toph took in another breath. "They told us he had died fighting Watchers...and...a woman who shot blue fire" she whispered the last part as if death itself would befall any who spoke it loud enough.

"Azula" Aang whispered as he remembered the crazy woman. The one time he had seen her during a visit with Zuko, who had tried to get him to heal her, which failed miserably, had shown him just how messed up she had become. And Zuko had let her off her leash? This wasn't good.

"I...I told you to just drop it..." Toph whispered, now close to tears. She then brought the wall down and quickly exited the tunnel.


	11. Chapter 11

_Avatar: The Overlord_

_Chapter 11: Battle of Gaoling_

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER, OWN ATLA**

"General?"

"Ma'am"

"How much longer?" Azula asked, simply to annoy the man. If Zuko was sending her along on this stupid mission, then at least she would have fun while doing it. She would rather be up torturing that peasant. At least _he_ gave her a challenge.

"Ten more hours Ma'am" Grand General Hyro stated. Why she thought it would take only a few minutes to cross half the entire Empire he didn't know. But then again, she did normally travel on one of those airships. The same ones that they didn't have because they were all at Chameleon Bay...

/

The sun was setting beautifully as Rebel guards patrolled the outskirts of Gaoling. They knew that the 314th Inferno Shock Battlion or the _Imperial Fire Demons_, would be coasting down from the hills beyond Gaoling soon enough. If they hoped to survive the night, they would need all their strength, all their courage and all their awareness to do so.

Slowly, one by one, small red lights appeared in the ever growing darkness as the first of the Inferno Empire's infantry assault appeared. The battalion would have lots of soldiers, lots of firebenders and lots of tanks. But they wouldn't have any air support, so that was one advantage they could feel secure about.

"Prepare to repel!" a sergeant yelled as he walked down the rear of the line to the front. "Prepare to repel!" he shouted as the Shock Troops grew closer. "Hold to the last and fight with all you posses!" he barked as he moved on.

/

"General!" a soldier shouted as he ran into the command room, deep in the Resistance's base under Gaoling. "Hyro's men are assaulting the north eastern part of the town with troops and tanks, they haven't breached but we need more men or we'll be overrun!" he exlaimed.

Toph, already feeling sick to her stomach about this attack and the fact that the Inferno Empire was winning the battle for the city she had just retaken, was already losing hope. However she kept her expression solid and commanding as she nodded. "Canis!" she said, getting the attention of her lieutenant. "Get a few runners and pull half our reserve strength up there now. And get me the Avatar!" she ordered before pouring over the map of Gaoling and it's surrounding area once more.

This couldn't be right. Hyro had never once, in his entire military career, focused on one spot to attack. He always swarmed around the target, making a ring and drawing in, squashing the enemy. Choking them to death with multiple lanes of crisscrossing cross fire.

Something was definitively wrong.

/

Azula sighed as she approached the south western part of the town of Gaoling. Behind her was a small company of Hyro's finest Shock Troopers, along with several tanks and a few of the Watchers she had brought with her.

"Commander!" she shouted and the head trooper came forward. "Take your men and cause as much damage to the city as possible. Try and engage any reinforcements you might find heading to the front as well" she barked before heading off to the west with her Watcher bodyguard.

The five of them continued on through the rugged terrain of the hills and soon came to what Azula was looking for.

Before coming here, she had interrogated a rebel who had been to Gaoling recently and learned of the cities secret passages that ran all over the area. Looking to the hill the man had mentioned, the one with the numerous white flowered Clori trees, Azula could find hints of a passage.

Throwing her hand back, she let out a burst of fire and watched as the ground crumbled in, revealing a small tunnel which led back towards Gaoling, slowly and gently sloping downwards. "Bingo" she whispered as she and the four Watchers silently crept into the tunnel, intending on finding out where it led.

/

Aang sighed as he was led into the Rebel command room with Katara. "Yes?" he asked, a bit more deadpan then what he would have said a few years ago. However the constant occupation of the Inferno Empire and the news of Sokka's death were just too much for him to care about how it sounded.

Toph, covering her hurt at his words, quickly outlined the problem in the northern part of town. "If we don't throw those Shock Troops back, then a _lot_ of civilians will end up dead" she said. "Please, even if your angry or confused with me right now, _please_ help save these people's lives" she begged.

Aang was about to answer her when another soldier ran in. "General!" the man shouted, eyes wide with fear. "A group of Watchers are in the base! Their cutting down anyone they encounter and are approaching the Hospital!" he said, horror and shock thick in his voice.

Aang turned to a horrified Toph. "Go save your town, We'll deal with them" Aang assured her before he and Katara took off to deal with the Imperial Elite troops.

"Well don't just stand there, get some men together, we have to push the enemy back!" Toph said and left the command room to go direct her troops.

/

"Hold the line!" someone shouted as the Imperial Shock troops rushed them again. The rebels, in their trenches or whatever other cover they were occupying, held strong as they clashed with some of the Inferno Empire's finest. There was far more rebel blood on the ground then Imperial, but the Imps were still being held back. And more rebels were coming in.

"Hold the line!" was repeated moments later as a fresh wave hit them and more sword to sword or bender to bender fighting began with the occasional hand to hand and shield/spear being thrown into the brawl.

Blood splattered the now trampled grass, it's once bright green color now nothing more then a dull lime, as kills were made and wounded were removed from battle. The wave withdrew, leaving a weaker rebel defense in their wake.

"Hold the line!" could be heard moments later.

/

In the dimly lit caverns in the farther, less occupied sections of the Resistance base a red and orange fireball bloomed bright as it sailed out of the air in front of an Imperial Watcher and slammed into a fleeing rebel. The Earth rebel shrieked like a dying exotic animal of some sort as he crashed to the ground, rolling and bouncing in a vain attempt to stop the incredibly hot flames from burning him alive.

"Keep moving" Azula snapped to the Watcher, who was watching with glee as the man slowly roasted alive. "We need to find the rebel leaders" she muttered as she sent a bright blue ball of death down the corridor, frying several more rebels as she stalked past, her guards following right behind her.

Azula turned the corner at the end of the hallway seconds later and was promptly blown back by a burst of water into the stone wall behind her. Groaning, she rolled away just as another stream of water flew at her as they became ice shards, which embedded into the wall she had just made a rather large dent in.

"_Kill_ them!" Azula snapped as she sprinted forward, both her fists becoming blazing blue balls of fire as she left twin lines of fire on the wall in her wake before entering a large cavern, most likely a storage area or some form of barracks for soldiers or base staff.

"Azula!" someone, it sounded feminine, shouted in a mixture of horror, shock and anger from above.

Glancing up, Azula realized her mistake a minute too late before a boot landed squarely in her face, nearly breaking every bone there, including her nose, however the boot left as quick as it had come. Before she could recover however, a bald headed form shot out from the ground and hit her right in the gut with one hand as the other slammed into her chin, sending her skyward.

Trying to twist around so she could fend off anymore attacks, Azula was hit by a strong gust of air, sending her right into the archway above the entrance her annoying Watchers were pouring out of.

Groaning once more, Azula fell from the wall, and was thankfully caught by a pair of her guards. Snarling, she shoved them roughly aside and tried, and somewhat failed, to stand straight. Wobbling side to side as she glanced around for the allusive enemy, Azula sent a ball of fire straight up and she just barely caught the sight of two figures darting off into the darkness on the other side of the roof before she let out a loud roar. "Crush them! Make them _pay!_" she snarled as she advanced, still a bit wobbly, after her opponents, her slightly uneasy guards following behind her. What was the point of them anyways? They were pretty much common soldiers right now, for the good they had been doing.

Passing a set of crates in the center of the cavern, proving her theory of the place being a storage area, Azula heard something crunch near her and she spun, sending a burst of fire at the target in the blink of an eye. To her surprise, one of the Watchers burst into flames and howl in pain, falling to the ground as he ironically burnt to death the same way he had set the Earth rebel afire earlier.

Cursing herself for her stupidity, Azula shoved the minor shock of killing her own guard on accident into the back of her mind as she scanned for the Avatar and his harpy, as they were clearly who were attacking her.

Suddenly another guard screamed and Azula watched as a soaking wet Watcher was flew from some part of the cavern and then went over her head, where he crashed into another pile of boxes behind her, which fell on top of him with a sickening crunch.

A little uneasy herself now, Azula moved deeper into the cavern and found the Avatar, who now had his hair back instead of his normal shaven head. He also seemed more built and a good bit taller, but Azula was determined that he was still a useless bender and that she could take him.

Letting out a roar, Azula threw herself at the Avatar, sending blue balls of fire at the monk in a rapid fire like motion as she sailed towards him, her feet scarcely touching the ground.

To her disappointment, but not that shocking to her, the attack failed as the master bender began twirling a gust of air, sending the fireballs backwards, sideways and anywhere else other then himself. It did catch several boxes and other items in the cavern afire however. Growling, Azula scanned the room around her with one eyes while her other eye kept track of the Avatar. "So tell me" She said, using her taunting, slightly seductive voice from her past, back when she had been fully together in the head. Back when she had been next in line for Fire lord. "Where is that harpy of yours?" She asked. As she expected, the Avatar's face became a mask of righteous rage and the master bender sent a burst of air at the offending Fire Princess.

Grinning, Azula neatly danced out of range of the attack and shot towards him, sending more fireballs at him.

Aang, realizing his mistake, flipped backwards and narrowly avoided being hit by the fireballs as he landed on top of a crate. Deciding enough was enough, Aang sprung forward towards Azula, who had been expecting him to retreat further and was thus caught off guard when Aang planted his boot firmly in her face.

The fire princess flew backwards and slammed into a pile of boxes with a hard thud. The crates, with a little help from Aang, then fell on top of her, burying her under their heavy weight.

Katara appeared moments later, having subdued the last of the Watchers. "Who would have thought that Azula would have been let out of her cell?" she murmured.

"Well it was always a possibility..." Aang replied.

"True, it's just that Zuko never really liked her a whole lot" Katara added.

"He doesn't like anyone a whole lot right now..."

/

/

"Arrgh!" Toph shouted as she sent a giant boulder of earth out of the ground, where it landed on a Inferno battle tank with a loud screech of smashing metal parts. "Forward!" Toph cried and the rebels pushed towards the Inferno's steadily withdrawing lines.

"General!" a rebel said as he ran up to the raven haired master earth bender.

"What?" Toph demanded as she sent another boulder up into the air, where it landed on a handful of unlucky Inferno shock infantry.

"The Avatar just reported that the infiltrators have been subdued in Storage room twelve, he wanted me to inform you that...that A...Azula was captured as well" the man said, clearly exited about the prospect of having the evil sister of the Overlord at their mercy. It was enough to even make Toph grin.

"Good" she said, nodding. "Make sure she's bound and well guarded. And put her in the coldest room you can find, don't let anyone in her cell until I speak with her as well" Toph said and once she was sure the man understood, she ran after her soldiers, ready to punish the Inferno Empire even more.

/

/

"Grand-General!"

"Yes?" Hyro asked the aide that had suddenly appeared in his command tent as he he looked over field reports and examined the map of Gaoling and the markers showing where his lines and those of the enemy were supposedly at.

"The earth rebels are beating our troops back, Captains Jen and Lee have reported heavy casualties and are retreating. Our tanks are also taking heavy damage due to Earth benders situated on the cliffs near Gaoling" The man reported as Hyro stared at him in disbelief.

"What? Our men, retreating?" He demanded in rage. "Order all captains to press forward, this Battalion has never lost a battle before, and we will certainly not lose one to this foolish rebellion. Get me a rhino and marshal our reserves, we'll rush the enemy if we have to" Hyro barked. He wasn't going to be beaten here, not by a pesky little rebellion.

Leaving his tent, Hyro, already in his flashy golden and black armor, pulled on his fully covering helmet and leaped onto the rhino that had been provided for him. He then observed as his rhino cavalry platoon, his last tank platoon and two companies of Shock troops prepared for the downward charge into the pass that the rest of his forces were retreating through. "You are the elite!" he roared after a few quiet moments and the men all cheered or raised their weapons. "You are the strong!" Another cheer. "You are an _Inferno_" He roared and the small reserve force cried valiantly. "NOW BURN THEM!" he cried and rode forward, the small reserve force following behind him at a slow run that soon became a massive charge.

/

/

"Look at them run!" Toph laughed as she sent another boulder at the fleeing Imperial troops. Several rebels were shouting insults and making jokes as the Imperial battalion fled up the pass. She was about to make a joke to Canis when fireballs suddenly lit up from somewhere. "Incoming!" Toph shouted just as the balls of death slammed into the ground all around the rebel troops.

Laying on her side, ears ringing, Toph wondered what had happened. The Inferno troops were to disorganized to coordinate a perfectly timed artillery strike like that. Unless...Hyro was leading them. Looking up, her fears were confirmed as she saw a new, fresh force come rushing down the pass towards her tired troops who had only moments ago been cheering in victory. The force consisted of a small unit of rhino riders and a smattering of infantry. Off to the side, she could see several tanks advancing behind them, firing barrage after barrage of fireballs at the rebels, who were scrambling for cover.

Toph took all of this in at a moments glance and realized there was only one option open for her. Taking a deep breath, Toph opened her mouth and screamed "Charge!"


End file.
